Impossible Avenues
by Melanie Dawson
Summary: Edward lies hidden throught the ages trying to find out the truth about a legend that, if true, would change the faith of the vampire and human world alike,hoping that this girl,Bella,is not the curse he thought her to be.Time alone can reveal the secret
1. Chapter 1

First of all, thank you very much to all of you who take your time to read this and to review it. Feedback is always important and I appreciate your effort into improving my work, because at the end of the day, this is what a review is all about: helping me do better!

**NOTE**: Bella and Edward are definitely the best creation of Stephanie Mayer, so no harm intended through this story. I'm just being a 100% fan to the Twilight and to vampire love stories in general.

Note from the Author

This is dedicated to all those who are obsessing with love.

Love impossible, that you cannot find, yet you crave for; that you had but lost.

Love like no other that drains you, hurts you beyond limits.

Love that takes you high above to then drop you to your knees.

Love that will give you more than you can handle so when it goes away will leave you emptier than you ever were.

Love that does not judge, does not ask, does nothing but burn inside, uncontained, uncontrolled, unbreakable.

Love that you want to relive over and over again.

I subscribe.

Love knows no regrets so regret nothing of what you've loved!

**Impossible Avenues**

by Impossible Avenues

Adam and Eve. Good and Evil. Less good and more evil. The Bible first laid down in golden letters the tale of how humanity turned on itself. Humans fought along and against each other to keep the fragile balance between this Evil, blossoming in their womb and the Good, so scarce and glassy, that at times it appeared to have faded away. Yet Humanity was victorious. Or so it seemed. Its many churches and pilgrims, claimers of truth and faith had strengthened the belief of people that Good was omnipotent and prevailed over Darkness.

Thousands of years later, the mists of time, blurry with uncertainty, revealed yet another truth. Rumors, unspoken words and fears of how the long forgotten Evil had mingled in the world through hidden shapes and forms, with powers beyond imagination and comprehension. The world sensed it, the world called on it, in fascination, craving, awaiting, alluring it. Still Evil kept lurking in the shadows, mocking at the foolish nature of people, being so drawn to it.

Bright blue eyes stared at the world swish in silence, creeping in its dark corners and claiming victims. Bright blue eyes that soon were to show how the greatest Evil can succumb to a greater Good: L o v e.

CHAPTER 1

The wheels screeched on the pavement as the car took a sudden turn on the pavement. Bella was still amazed at how she managed to park the car so skillfully. She had always been fearful with some things and having a car accident has been one of them. She looked out the window to measure the distance in between her car and the one parked next to it. Plenty to avoid scratching the paint when coming out of the vehicle. She gathered hastily the documents spread on the passengers' seat, took another look at the make up to make sure it was all in one place. It was so damn hot outside that she felt the skin itself melted and ran down her cheeks. A deep sigh from the bottom of her overheated lungs and she sprang out in the parking lot.

The notary office wasn't far away, thank God! She felt the high heals to her shoes sinking in the sidewalk tar. Jesus! She tried tip toeing, but the weight in her arms didn't give her too much freedom in movements. The bell rang and she waited impatiently for the door to open. Another ring and this time a mid-aged woman opened smiling widely. Bella could tell that she was in a better mood than her. They greeted and she stepped rapidly inside, hoping they had air conditioning on. The cool breeze of a fan rotating in the hallway made her loosen a bit and relax. She wished the fan stood still so she can have all that cool air diverted towards her alone. The notary public shook her hand and invited her over in his office.

Here the air conditioned really did miracles on her. The little room was filled with people. Three of them she recognized. They were the employees of a bank she was working with. Bella had managed to put together her own translation office, and together with a well trained team at her side, business was going smoothly. Today, she was here to translate for a foreign citizen who had purchased a property in Bucharest and they needed to finish the paper work and transfer the ownership rights to the new buyer. Behind his desk, the notary, along with his assistant, was trying to fix the last details before signing the documents. One other gentleman, most likely the seller, paced nervously in the little space. Bella's eyes rested on the man sitting in the chair next to the window. He seemed completely preoccupied with something else other than what was going on in that room. He was looking absent out the window. The bright afternoon sunlight made his skin look almost white. So white. So white that his dark eyebrows seemed darker than they probably were. And the hair. Peach black. Thick and definitely not in the trend. A bit longer, shadowing his temples, with the whiskers hiding the tips of the ears. Bella stood fascinated watching him. The notary addressed her but she missed on the call and kept staring. The notary called again and this time several people in the room turned their heads to look at her. She was about to react when the man turned around and faced her. It's like she had always dreamt it to be; a man's eyes; charcoal black, scary black, so deep and intensive that she felt she could drown in that pool of tar. She swallowed dryly letting all the air come out through her nose, like a racing horse snuffling in expectation; she felt her heart pumping slowly but steadily, at such slow pace and rhythm that the sound of it was almost silent. The room had also gone silent. She fixed that darkness fixing her back.

" Sorry" … she tried to toss the handbag off her shoulder, such a disturbing intrusion into her dream. "Mrs. Swan!" Bella barely managed to snap out of her trance. She felt like a fool or better yet she didn't feel anything anymore but the very urge to turn around and inspire some more of those eyes.

" Yes…" a rapid gasp of air surged her lungs in a forced attempt to get a grasp of reality. "I have … the documents right here!" She approached the desk and laid down the pile of papers she had so tightly held to her chest until then. "3 copies of each as you recommended", she stepped back waiting for the notary public to make his move. She tried ignoring as much as possible the man still looking at her. Strange, but she could feel him watching her. And by God _she_ wanted to look at him too. There were few the times in her 27 years of life where she has considered herself to be such a dumb ass that even other people could see it. And today was definitely one of those days. Dumb ass! Dumb ass! The man was gorgeous no doubt about it, but she was still a dumb ass… no doubt about that either!

"Please Mr. Stavros, sign here… and here. Perfect! Ok. Mr. Cullen, your turn Sir! Right here, please!" The man approached the desk and leaned over to sign the document. Bella caught the movement with the corner of her eye. The light behind him showed off the line of his broad shoulders that the expensive suit he wore only enhanced with each flexing of the muscles underneath. The fingers holding the hand were strong and manly, writing letter after letter with minute precision. His hands were just as white as his face. Too white. Without realizing she had turned her head and was staring again. He slowly responded and set his gaze on her as well. She didn't react to it. Motionless; slowly drowning again. For some reason her imagination ran wild at the same time while her mind was freezing. She felt free. She felt like she could share a million things to this man and that he had a million things to share with her. How come? She only knew his name from the translation she's made.

"Thank you very much. Well, gentlemen, I guess this is it. Mr. Stavors! Mr. Cullen!" the notary shook hands with them then offered a copy of the document. "Congratulations for the deal. If anything at all, please contact me, I will be at your disposal" the notary continued with a faint attempt of ass kissing. For some reason that didn't come out right. There was also confusion or maybe fear what she sensed in his voice. Fear of pushing the conversation too far, of doing something inappropriate. Bella thought that maybe these people were some big shots demanding outmost respect. Oh well, her eyebrows arched in indifference. No business of hers.

"Mrs. Swan, again thank you for helping us on such a short notice. Please leave the other documents over at the secretariat. We will take care of it as soon as possible." He was talking about her money of course!

"Absolutely, no problem" Bella smiled professionally. Mr. Stavros passed her by on his way out of the room. So did the other three people from the bank. She quickly bent over the chair behind her to grab the purse. She hurried towards the door but before taking a step forward the entrance got blocked by him. She was stuck and she did not have much room for retreat. When did he get out of the room in the first place? It had only taken her a few seconds to take the bag and he was still there when she reached for the purse? She looked at him confused. Going out meant squeezing by him. Going back in meant the same thing. She dared and looked him in the eye. His eyes were no longer a sweet hideaway for mindless dreaming but a penetrating stare she felt down to the bone. In all that black she could actually make out the iris and the more he stared at her the more the iris grew in size showing the pleasure he took in watching her. Little by little she figured that if she was breathing her chest would inflate and bring her closer to him. If only she could stop breathing! How stupid! His face, his neck his whole body emanated coldness. She felt like getting closer. Her back was sweaty yet her face was cold being so close to his body. The eyes… forget the eyes! The lips were even better! What was wrong with this man for Christ sake! Looking so awkwardly beautiful! Sheet white yet with such powerful eyes and such full reddish well contoured lips! And then again, what the heck was wrong with her! In a matter of seconds her mind has counted down and filed all his features like it was the most urgent and most important thing to do!

"I would like you to assist me with another project I have". The sound of his voice, so sudden, so low came as a shock to her. It made her shiver. The waves of his breath swept through her pores over and over again as he was carefully choosing his words. "I have a few, very old, documents that need to be translated. I need a summary drawn of them. It is very important". He spoke slowly and the deep tone of his voice reverberated in her ear. His sight had not shifted of her face for a moment. Bella was looking at him and yet she seemed not to see him. She sighed.

"Very old documents need a specialized translation and I… I am not specialized in translating old documents". Her voice sounded better than she expected it to be. Very sexy. Her usual morning hoarse voice. Maybe not that sexy if she thought about it.

"I know you can handle it. It's not Shakespearian language, if that's what you have in mind. It's French, rather old French, but still French of which I personally have never really been fond of". His lips curved smiling imperceptibly. Bella sighed again and she knew he heard it. Maybe he was figuring she is annoyed with him and can't find the way to refuse his offer. How professional of her, damn it! She gathered all of her courage and mental lucidity and looked him in the eye.

"I'll see what I can do. Please have someone bring the documents over to my office. I'll go through them and then give you my final answer on whether I can help or not."

"I know you can help." He smiled. He did smile now. Candid. How can such a fierce perfectly crayoned face smile candidly? Warmly and sensual? Beyond her the answer that! "Unfortunately the documents cannot leave my residence. They are too important."

Bella's eyebrows came up wondering. Still, no red flag was ever raised in her hallucinating mind, not even for a second. Somehow she did not consider the man a threat. Just weird. Weirdly beautiful. She wanted him! She tried to choke an upcoming smile, reminding herself that she was now 27 not 17 and she had to put an end to the childish uncontrolled wet dreams. Again she looked him in the eye, this time a bit more confident seeing how she had her first little attempt of self control succeed.

"Well, this is going to be difficult. My time is rather limited. I have other pending projects. I could have one of my colleagues take a look at the documents."

"No. I want you." His tone tumbled down on her like a cold shower. Yet it ignited a terrible fire inside. "I assure you my team is a handful of professionals. What ever you trust me with, they can be trusted with as well."

"And I do not doubt it, but I want you and you alone for this job. It's very important to me that someone whom I have observed to be very skilful and passionate about this to handle them privately." Bella wondered where he had observed her or her skills considering that today was the first time they've met. She tightened her lips preparing the answer.

"Ok. I can stop by and take a look. But if you need this urgently I am afraid that me having to always come by your residence we'll slow things down."

"The text I want you to take a look at is not very lengthy. I am sure in less than a week you will be done with it. You can come whenever you wish and can. I may not always be there but there is always someone to answer the door. Nonetheless, at the end of the week, I would like us to meet so you can talk to me about the document. To tell me the story"

So there it was, in a single phrase he managed to not only make her his permanent guest for the week but also gave her a full set of instructions and a deadline for the project. Bella smiled. The man had a serious set of balls on him, no denying! She liked that. Bold and inquisitive. And demanding.

"Story?"

"You will see." Again that smile. Bella managed to support his look while smiling back. His hand slid underneath the jacket and took out a business card.

"Please, give me a call tomorrow. I will be waiting."

Bella took the card careful not to touch fingers with him. Somehow she did not want it.

"I will. Good bye Mr. Cullen." Even though he leaned backwards to make room for her their bodies still touched as she slid out of the room. On the way out she almost forgot to leave her invoices, smiled stupidly and stormed out in the lobby.

Minutes after she sat in the car bolted to the chair with the seatbelt and for once she actually enjoyed the heat. She opened her fist and read the business card. She had clenched on it so hard that it was all cramped. It read:

**Edward Cullen, Ph. D.**

Architecture and Interior Design

Member of the High Order of the European Architects

Adelaide Avenue, 52 * 012243 * Bucharest * phone: (0040) 21 65 70

Fax: (0040) 21 65 68 * e-mail: .ro * .ro

So this was her secret client! Cullen Vintage was a renowned art shop for vintage furniture and interior design accessories that mortals and ignorant fools such as her would only dream of visiting. Buying was obviously out of the question. She had entered one of these shops before. One of the crystal hand made chandeliers counted her little office's profit for most likely two months or more. And she considered herself to do pretty well with her work. Rumors had it that the shops were so famous not only because of the unique merchandise but also because of the owner, the eluding Mr. Cullen, who rarely made his appearance. And when he did sales would get out of control. Bella plaid with the card for a bit. What kind of mind control did this man have on other people? She thought back half an hour ago remembering how childishly she behaved. She automatically flipped the card on the other side. There was a cell phone number. Hand written. That was awkward. It was obvious that not a lot of people would have access to that number, so when did he have the time to write it? It was like it had all been planned before.

She shook her head and threw the card in her purse then pushed on the gas pedal. Soon the heavy traffic caught her attention. She drove slowly and relaxed. For some reason she felt happy with how the day started and she was thrilled thinking of tomorrow.

CHAPTER 2

Silence. A few voices outside on the sidewalk. Kids playing probably. He liked listening to their giggle. It was a happy thing to listen to. And not many things seemed happy to him. His eyes fell back on the drawing board. Somehow the calculations he had done and redone a thousand times since yesterday did not add up. He leaned back abruptly in the chair, hands behind the head looking emptily to the ceiling. The cell phone started vibrating annoyingly on the desk. It was the 44th call he was getting that day and neither of them was HER. He didn't feel like answering. Still, with a sudden and unperceived move he grabbed the phone and then was back rocking in his leather chair, in a matter of seconds. Edward smiled thinking of her reaction if she had seen him do that. Well, she wouldn't have, because humans don't have the ability to perceive something beyond their own powers. The phone in his hand continued buzzing. He slid the golden frame and the display lit. Bella calling… Connected.

"Hello… Mr. Cullen? Hello?" the voice at the other end seemed insecure and unsteady. He could hear her nervous breathing through the wiring.

"Yes. Cullen here. Bella?" No answer. It was the first time he was saying her name and even on the phone his cold voice gave her the chills. Bella wished he'd call her name again, just one more time so she has enough time to savor it. But he didn't.

"Are you available?"

Such a business cold and brute material of a man, Bella thought grasping involuntarily on the phone. "Yes. I could drop by today and see the documents. Only in the afternoon if possible, I have all morning booked already. I am sorry."

"It's ok. Afternoon is perfect. Please write down the address."

Bella wrote carefully the address. Wow. Bucharest Beverly Hills! What else did she expect for someone with his revenues? "Ok, got it. I will be there around 2PM, that's the best I can do. I'm sorry."

There was true regret in her voice and Edward felt pleased to see he was right in her being so dedicated and professional. "As I said, it's ok. I'm glad you can come at all. I know it has all been on a very short notice. I appreciate it." Unfortunately for him he couldn't get his voice sound any more understanding than that. It wasn't in his nature to be kind. Even his politeness was icy even though he expressed it impeccably.

Bella hung off the phone and she felt that morning coffee hadn't given her as much strength as she thought it did. She felt week. Idiot! She ran the fingers through her hair letting it loose. She slowly massaged the scalp keeping her eyes closed not thinking of anything in particular. The laughter in the office next door and the continuous noise coming from the printers relaxed her. They were such familiar noises, she loved them. It meant her people were having a good time working and that there was work to be done. She looked at the business card in front of her. Such refined paper and such good quality in the texture of the writing and print. Expensive, of course. Bella sighed and pushed it aside. Aside, yet close, she didn't want to misplace it. It was important. Very important.

1:30PM. And she had hit traffic. How can it be? How many people out there are having lunch now as to block all down town? She struggled to remain calm and control her sweating and swearing. Finally she left the main street and entered the residential neighborhood where Cullen was living. She started looking for the number in her address. Nothing. She drove slowly by a big villa she thought looked like something Cullen would have. Number 76. So she drove further. At some point the street broke in two. One went downwards towards other villas and another went upwards. Bella couldn't see any houses there, just trees, orchards. For some reason the more secluded street seemed the right way to go. She drove up the street and still no house. At some point the road straightened and she ended up in front of this huge black gate. With surveillance cameras at each side. She lowered the window to the car and tried reading the number above the bell. 86. That was it. Bella got of the car and slowly approached the cameras. She rang the bell and even though she couldn't hear a thing the gate suddenly opened in a minute. She looked around, but no one was there. She twisted a few more times not sure what to do, but then thinking someone was watching her chasing her own tail like a stupid puppy, she decided to get in the car and drive the long alley past the gate. Once inside she couldn't take her eyes off the garden laying in front of her. There were all sorts of fruit trees, fountain statues and artificial rivers flowing in a sort of choreographed dance all through out the garden. Personally, she wasn't much into fountains and stuff but these seemed so well placed and coordinated that made everything come into harmony. No exaggeration any where, just an excellent taste for colors, plants and garden accessories. The pebbles on the road fractioned under the tires. She stopped the car at a dead end. She took her coat and purse and continued on foot to the marble stairs. She tried to control her continuous sighs coming as a response to everything she was seeing. A huge pool with crystal blue water lay in front of her, and everywhere around it there were white canopies. An amazing hand made mosaic of hundreds of small ceramic plates covering the bottom of the pool. Chinese art most likely, a red dragon throwing flames out his nostrils, holding a rose in its claws.

Bella stood mesmerized at the sight. God it was beautiful. She pursued herself into not thinking how it would feel swimming in that pool. It must have been wonderful at night. She was sure Cullen had thought of some unheard light display that would make the entire garden look like fairy playground. Then her eyes set on the mansion rising a few feet from the pool. Two levels, made of dark bricks and covered with stone, contrasting powerfully with the modern pool. The massive roof was supported here and there by small gargoyle pylons. What a combination. The windows were big and plane, yet medieval looking. Everywhere around the house and from the huge balconies sprang roses of pure red, climbing down to the entrance door and up to the roof. It was strange. But beautiful. Like him. Strange but beautiful. And welcoming.

"Mrs. Swan I assume?" The voice distracted her from more sightseeing. In the door way there was this man. Beautiful. What was wrong with her? But he was beautiful. The same kind of beautiful as Cullen. Cold looking, too white and with very dark features. Only that his hair was chestnut and long. A little less built than Cullen was, but still, you could tell the man had a cavalcade of male models around him.

"Yes." She approached him holding her hand out. He looked at her strangely. Then he slowly reached for her hand and shook it. Bella almost froze. His hand was so damn cold, dead cold. He could see it in her eyes and retracted his hand rapidly.

"Mr. Cullen told me about you. Please follow me." Bella was intrigued. This guy didn't seem a valet, so what was he doing here acting like one? He followed him quietly in the hallway. Hallway is what you have in an apartment like hers, thus huge thing at the entrance looked more like a ball room to her! She didn't even bother to assimilate the view anymore she just let it sieve through in her mind, enchanting her senses. The furniture was massive and yet the very construction of it made it look light and cozy. The house was well lit, thanks to the big windows and the well positioned lights. She expected to see some medieval portraits or armors sitting around but she was surprised to see the modern abstract paintings on the walls, the colors in the drapes, the green of the sofas in the living room. The golden features of the chairs mixed wonderfully with the red and orange of the tapestry in the oriental carpets strategically positioned on the dark parquet.

"In here." Her guide stopped in front of two massive doors which he opened in one easy movement. Bella followed him sneaking closer to see how heavy one of those doors really was that he managed to open them so lightly. They were made of massive wood and she couldn't figure how much work out the poor man had to go through to put on an impressive move like that. She found herself staring in disbelief at the tall walls covered with book shelves. A library. Now she realized what Cullen meant by old and what old must've meant to him. Of course he couldn't get this stuff out of the house, it was priceless. Maybe she should wear special gloves when handling them. They stopped in front of a glass case where an old book laid open. The pages were yellowish and cramped, broken here and there. Bella could see the covers were solid and cased in silver with three silver locks. There were drawings in it. Drawings of wars, she didn't recognize any of the armories in those images. The man stepped back and advised her to do the same. With the remote control in his hand he shot down the security system and then open the case. He slowly took it out and placed on one of the wooden desks next to the fire place.

"It's all yours. If you need anything just pick up that phone." Then he looked at her with a smile. "I am sorry, Mr. Cullen will not be able to make it as he has other appointments. He advised to make sure you have everything you need, so do not hesitate to call please."

Wow, she thought. "Sure, no problem. I guess, a glass of water would be fine for now." Her smile was reassuring. She needed to be alone with all these books. She was so excited at the thought of digging into all that lecture!

"I was thinking more like lunch. We've taken the liberty to prepare a little snack. I hope you're ok with that."

Bella was taken aback by the gesture. "Yes, I guess if it's not too much trouble." Now that he talked about lunch she did remember she had nothing to eat since that morning. "But… I am sorry. I do not have much time, so I'd better just stick to work. It is very important that I do a preliminary reading of the document." Bella smiled trying to not insult her host by refusing his lunch offer.

"Oh, but you can stay here and work. We will bring everything here."

"No, not a chance! I wouldn't get food close to these books!" Bella shook her head stubbornly.

"I insist. There is no harm done."

"Ok… maybe just a sandwich, nothing complicated ok?"

"Nothing complicated" his smile made her feel more at ease since their initial encounter.

"Did Mr. Cullen tell you what part of this book I should be looking at?"

"Page 127. La Legende. The Legend. But reading through the whole thing might help." His advice was more than welcome. She needed this project to come out right. Plus, a translation from a foreign language to another foreign language is never an easy job, with her being a Romanian native. Well, think positive, more practice for the translator and surely a fat check for her growing business. And a perk bonus, of being around this mysterious man even for just a few days. Life was always exciting for Bella, but at times she felt it got out of hand with eccentricity. What could she do? She was at the mercy of her destiny and her job was to make the best of it, whatever came.

"Thanks for the tip. I will definitely consider it." Bella nodded to the man as he was walking out of the library. She turned towards the fire place and observed the black ashes in silence. Then threw her bag and purse near by and sat down at the desk not daring to touch the book. She started with the beginning. Page 1 was a note from the author confirming that all that was written in the book was not only sacred to the covenant but also true facts of its history. She looked at the date. Her heart skipped a beat and her mind blocked. 1560AC. And it said that the facts were dated as far as 9AC. That was more than 2,000 years ago! Who could have lived in 1560 as to tell true stories of something that happened in 9AC? But then again it was a story as he said, a legend. There couldn't have been much truth to it. She relaxed a bit.

She went on skimming through the book. Her eyes lay on the strange drawings. Soldiers above ground battling. Soldiers underneath the ground. There was something unrealistic about these soldiers. The ones standing above ground all wear a seal on their shoulders and their shields also bore the same marking: a fiery dragon with a rose in its claws. She remembered the mosaic in the pool. Bella became a bit restless. She looked closer. These soldiers had… canines. Long sharp canines, long hair, they were all displayed as being well built and ferocious. Too bad the drawings were black and white, she would have liked to see whether their skin was pale white like Cullen.

"What the hell are you thinking?" she smiled to herself leaning back in the soft chair. Vampires. She blinked a couple of times. She was no stranger to this kind of fiction; actually she was a mean fan when it came to the dark and occult stories of vampires, werewolves and such other creatures of the night. She read as much literature like that as she could. She even wrote romantic stories of possible love between a dark sided and a human. But of course, this was all fiction. In reality people did a lot of bad shit in laboratories and plaid with genetics creating all sorts of atrocities, but it all stopped there. Maybe they managed to create some universal soldier or some deadly biological weapon, but not a vampire. She smiled again. "Let's just remember this is a legend, like so many you've read before!" Only that the book was so old and too explicit for it to be all about guessing, rumors and medieval fantasies of something people back then couldn't control or understand. Magic. Myth. This is what the book was probably all about. People back that were suckers for that. Bella dropped the pen on the table and looked at the book again. Still, this was going to be a very interesting lecture. She started reading from the beginning taking careful notes of everything she considered might be useful in deciphering the legend later on.

A short knock on the door and her handsome host came in with a tray full of goodies. He smiled and left just as quiet as he had come in. Bella peaked at the tray. That was no sandwich but a festive meal. She indulged in the grapes first, God she had such a bad culinary behavior. Careful not stain the book she went on eating while going through the text. Soon enough she learnt that long ago there was a time of disaster and chagrin, when the Black Death had swept through the continents and left the Earth almost bare of its inhabitants. The death toll was devastating. Yet in the midst of all the bitterness there were few that survived, either by sheer luck or miracle. Or simply due to some genetic evolution where their bodies resisted the plague and became immortal. Bella sighed. A true vampire story no doubt. If an editor got his hands on this they could make a really good screen play out of it and a box office movie afterwards. Cullen should consider the option; it would increase considerably his income.

She went on reading half way through the sandwich. There was only one immortal, a lord at the time, back in what was now England. He had a son who at his turn was immortal. His mother though was not and died shortly after his birth. His father took his solitude through the many years that followed raising his boy. When the young man reached manhood he stopped aging and little by little he also took the shape of an immortal. It looked like his mother's genes had gone that far as to get him grown up, give him an almost human existence, the power to have memories, feelings and a beating heart. He was considered to be the first vampire king. His name was Edward. Bella stopped chewing, her senses becoming very alert all of a sudden. Maybe it was a simple name coincidence. Probably that's why he wanted the legend translated because he thought it was cool that the vampire in the book was also called Edward. Surely that was the reason. It was fashionable among the rich to have themselves compared with someone interesting that would steer people's imagination. And a vampire was definitely something on the wave these days. The movies, the music the crazy people dreaming at the impossible, having tremendous powers and never dying and stuff…. all for the sublime price of just having to drink blood for the rest of time.

Bella giggled at the thought, thinking that she too was one of those idiots who at some point dreamt of that immortal life. Her early 20s were just made of dreams. She wondered how she had made it this good when her head was at times filled up with impossible things. She continued her lecture while licking her fingers. Damn that sauce was good! So Edward, the son grew to become a king amongst the human kind. King of what? If there were no other immortals. Few pages later, she learnt that his father had used his armies and turned them into vampires and soon enough before Edward reached maturity he had created a small empire for his son to rule. It seemed selfish and cruel, but the purpose was humanitarian. He used the legions to act like some sort of human kind police and protect them from themselves and soon from other vampires who learnt that their powers could also conquer not just protect.

Soon things were out of control and during one battle when Edward was almost 800 years old his father was defeated and bled dry by other vampires. The loss was immense to his followers but especially to his only son. Edward continued his father's doing but adopted another strategy. The war was not to be fought out in the open as before. He took on a different name than that of his father, he instructed and updated his armies as time passed by becoming one of the most feared enemies of his own kind and not only. Chapter after chapter went on telling his story through out the many centuries of his immortal life. But there was no physical description of him anywhere. Just that he was brave, fearless, merciless and so on and so forth. The things his followers would do for him were incredible. There were times when people fighting for him had gladly given their lives to save his. Well that statement was rather relative. They did not have a life and he couldn't really loose his, but Bella got the point. He had to live as he was the defense stand for humanity. But how could he defend something he fed on? The book only said he did not feed on humans even though he did have a craving for blood like all vampires did. Synthetic blood! Geez, her imagination had not lost any of its former glory! Bella laughed and the sound echoed through the library. It could've been true in modern days but what about back 2,000 years ago? Animal blood? Yuck! Well, whatever served the cause…

She looked at the tray. Food was over and she didn't even realize she had eaten all that! She grinned unpleased with her gourmand attitude. So, Edward had managed to hide through out thousands of years without letting the world know that behind the curtain there was a war going on to defend its ass. Everything done quietly, everything cleaned afterwards, everything kept under an oath of secrecy. Then it abruptly ended. At Chapter 7, page 127. The Legend. What could this Legend be about? His bravery, his powers, his armies and war strategies? They've already been detailed half way through the book already. She took a look at the time. Almost 5PM. 5PM? What? How? "My God, three hours already and she did not even realize it! The book was truly captivating. Not even the old French had caused her too much trouble in deciphering its mysteries. But she couldn't leave now! And then she remembered her cell was set on silent since the last meeting she was in. She quickly found it in her purse. 12 missed calls. Damn it! Most were from her girls in the office and some from a couple of clients. She started making rapid calls to settle things she'd missed on. She got rid of the obvious ones from the office then talked to the clients. Mr. Andreescu needed her for a consecutive translation at 6PM at the notary office in Universitatii Square. She looked at the time again. She could make it if she left right away. She agreed and hung of the phone. God damn it! She wanted to read the legend! Could she make copies of it? Probably not and not this fast! She looked around for the phone her host had mentioned when they first entered the library. She picked the receiver and before dialing the voice at the other end answered.

"Something wrong Mrs. Swan?" Bella stood still with surprise. "No. I just lost track of time and now I am running late with another appointment."

"I understand. I will be with you in a moment." And he meant it. In less than a moment he was opening the heavy doors as easy as he did the first time. Bella was getting just a bit tricked with this fast and faster things happening around the house. But she didn't have time for thinking or asking questions now. Vampires right? She smiled inside her head before grabbing her belongings to rush out of the door. Then she abruptly turned around looking at the mess she had left behind on the desk. The tray and the book and papers all over.

"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it." His answer came swiftly. She looked at him and frowned. Did the guy know everything? She stormed into the lobby and while putting her coat on turned to say good bye. He was already there opening the door for her. Forget this thing with him moving too fast! It's just in your friggin' mind! Bella rushed to the car and drove down the alley relaxing a bit to the view. She realized how focused she had been over that book. It was hard coming back to reality after almost 3 hours of bed time vampire stories. She turned left and took the road to the main boulevard. The black gates closed behind and as she saw them diminishing in the distance, she felt depressed with leaving the mansion. She was drawn to it. She had to find time tomorrow and come back again. Meanwhile she put some music on and tried focusing on her next assignment. It wasn't easy but at least the day was drawing to an end giving her some time to think more of Edward Cullen and his strange story.

CHAPTER 3

The heavy gates opened and a black Masseratti entered the garden. The tall shadows of the trees reflected in the black windows as it drove slowly towards the marble stairs. Cullen turned the alarm on when entering the house. Falken was waiting in the lobby. They saluted with a pat on the shoulder.

"A long day?"

"Pretty much. Did you get word from Michael, he was supposed to send us feedback from the west flank. The Hunters reported some activity there a few days ago." Cullen took his coat off and went over on the sofa. He closed his eyes. "Did she come?"

"Yes, she was here for a few hours."

"A few hours?" Edward lifted his head to look at Falken and make sure he wasn't joking. "What did she do?"

"She almost refused our lunch, after all we've been through to get it." Falken smiled widely.

"Did she now?" Edward laid back on the sofa, looking at Falken as he rested in the armchair. "And?"

"She did accept a sandwich and almost kicked me out of the library. She was very anxious to start working."

"She was probably in a hurry. She did tell me she didn't have much time."

"Actually I think it was because she is fascinated with books and wanted to have them all to herself and I was standing in the way." Falken went on smiling. "She's a library rat."

"She's good." Edward enhanced in an appreciative tone.

"Can't contradict you there." But Falken's words led in a different direction.

"Don't even think about it. She's a believer. If she senses your skills she will be drawn to it immediately"

"I think she already has. I could read it in her eyes that she figured I was moving too fast."

"Falken, I asked you to be careful!"

"How was I supposed to know she'll dig it?"

"She is fascinated with us, or with the fiction of us at least. Her mind works that way, of course she saw it coming."

"But humans can't perceive out movements, so why worry."

"She is a smart human with a tendency for the occult and with a heavy background of research on our kind. And even if she doesn't imagine we are real, she will figure things out faster than others. That's why I wanted her for the job in the first place."

"So she can cause trouble by nosing around into our secrets?"

"Because she is fascinated with vampires and she will put more soul into it than others would to do the job right. I trust she will give me the right translation for the text."

"Tanos already knows what the text is about, why don't you just believe him?"

"Because Tanos wasn't there when the Legend was written. He knows what I know. That's all. You know how hard I've been looking fore this book. If Tanos is right and the Legend is true than it should come true right about now."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not for me… I don't know. I need to know exactly what the Legend says. The real thing not some leftovers of a story that has been continuously enriched with people's fears and imagination through the course of 2,000 years! That's why I need her to do this and to do it right."

"Tanos could help. He's flying in tomorrow from Holland."

"No, let her be. Did she say when she is coming back?"

"No. She was in a hurry."

"Do you think she translated some of it already?

"I don't think so. I think she just went through the book from the beginning. She didn't have that much time. The book was opened right where the Legend started."

Edward sighed. He looked worried and Falken readjusted his position in the armchair.

"You worried about something?"

"About her. She is the best for the job but the worst person to read such lecture. She is too intelligent and too drawn to this kind of stuff to be able to simply let go of it once she's done. She might want to research some more. That's why it's important that neither of you react strange anymore. Behave human, act human and avoid any physical contact with her. She needs to sense that we are normal, weird but normal."

Falken smiled with the corner of his lips.

"Right. I think she's rather cute. Maybe we should keep her."

Edward watched him in silence.

"Don't betray your nature around her not even for a second. I mean it. She is and will stay human. Remember that." Then he paused. "Ok. Thanks for helping out today. We'll see what tomorrow brings."

He got up and walked towards the library. Falken watched him inquisitively. As far as he was concerned Edward was worrying too much for this human. She won't find out anything. He was over appreciating her intellect and her power of imagination. He pressed the buttons on the remote control. The news on CNN related to a sudden fire breaking out in a north district in Barcelona. It looks like Jasper and Michael didn't do very well with the diplomatic strategy. Falken smiled. "I bet Jasper set those bitches on fire!" He switched channels.

The library was silent and comfy. He took the book out of the glass case and opened the cover. He walked his hands down each page careful at the readings his palms got off the paper surface. All humans had an aura of energy. So did vampires. He could clearly distinguish both. A vampire aura was black, dark green and mauve. A dead aura. Humans though had a variety of auras, their colors changed depending on their emotions. Bright yellow for intense fear and deep red for sufferance, violet and pink and sometimes orange for happiness and comfort, pure white for peace and calm, for love and harmony. When it went black or blue they were either very sick or about to die. The auras also diminished in density as people aged and their feelings weren't as complex as before.

Bella was a mixture of many. He couldn't make out her real state of mind from the readings. It was either calm, or very agitated then it kept steady showing calmness. A calmness ready to burst into fear, or agitation of some sort. Page 94 and his hand stopped. Here her aura had a flicker of intense red to then drop to peach black and then back to that white yellowish aura. She must've read something that had startled her terribly, making her heart skip a beat. His eyes fell on the lines underneath the tip of his fingers. _... et comme ça, du chair d'une femme mortelle et l'immortalité d'un lord vampire avait né le roi le roi qui sacrifiera le destin de son people pour sauver celui de l'humanité à coût de son propre âme maudit: Edward, le roi solitaire._ So it was his name that had caused her to shock. Had she made the connection? Did she think it was just a coincidence? He flipped the page and laid his palm on the paper. Her aura was trembling and was undecided. Then it slowly lit up. So she did believe it was some coincidence. He insisted and ran his fingers down the old ink markings and concentrated. Behind the glazing gold aura there was a curtain of purple and green, a strong tendency towards deep dark colors. She was covering it all in her head. She was lying to herself. This was incredible.

When people are strong believers of something if they have their belief proven real they either accept it or deny it. Sometimes if they accept it, unconsciously they suffer a shock and they automatically deny it back by blocking the information in their mind. Others accept it and don't know what to make of it and so the information dissipates and their aura no longer reflects it. And some people acknowledge the truth revealed to them, they go through the shock and they intentionally hide it within themselves until they can cope with it, dismiss it or prove it truthful again. He could make a clear distinction amongst all these cases. Hers was an obvious situation of hiding the truth. Yet she had hidden it so lightly that she was mostly due to face it very soon. She could see her defense against this truth and it was so thin and transparent. She wanted to believe and she will soon enough.

Edward closed the book. He sat in her chair and felt her warmth. The leather had absorbed her energy and he felt it run through him. It was a faint trace but it was still strong. She was a strong woman. And stubborn; that's how she left such powerful energy traces. Yet he felt her agitation, her struggle with absorbing what she had read that day. He thought how scared she must have been inside and she probably didn't even feel it to its maximum. He left the library.

Falken turned around in the armchair.

"Going out?" his eyes followed Edward in his movements.

"Ya… for a little while."

Falken remained silent.

"Ok." He knew where Edward was going but did not want to comment on his decisions. He saw the lights of the car slowly disappearing in the dark. He switched the channel again.

Edward parked in front of the old villa. He looked up at the 4th floor. No movement and no lights were on. Of course. It was passed 1AM. He knew the entrance door to the villa was closed automatically so he didn't even try. He focused and his body shifted forward at speed light. One leg on the fence another on the edge of the 1st floor balcony and then again the left leg up the base of another balcony and then with both hands he pushed his body over her balcony. He looked down to make sure no one has witnessed his little circus exhibition. It took him about 5 seconds to climb up 4 stories to her balcony. He turned towards the sliding glass doors. They were locked. His eyes shifted to the kitchen window. It was barely open. With a quick jump he was standing crouched on the sill making his way inside. The artificial street light was powerful enough to show him inside the apartment. The kitchen was rather small, but very neat. His eyes could perceive the colors in the dark already imagining how it would look in the day light. There were little things everywhere adding to the charm of the little room. Notes on the fridge. He read them all in an instant. She was a funny woman! Leaving messages to herself and calling herself names for forgetting to read them! He smiled picturing her face with despair and disappointment.

He moved out of the kitchen and into the bathroom. Also small. Blue and green with yellow flowers. A very sweet, almost tasteful smell invaded his nostrils urging him to leave the bathroom rapidly. The living room was the only big room so far. Pretty good technology, not the best, but she had a good set of electronic devices attached to a big LTD, a good sound system and a wonderful collection of movies. He admired her taste. Like in the two other rooms, the furniture was scarce and lightly built, in warm colors of white and cream, green and red. She had put together a small office in one of the corners and stacked a dozen files in a small closet near by. The office look was smoothened by flowers everywhere. The same sweet perfume persisted. It had already taken over his senses completely and he fought with the urge of sniffing more in. He saw the door to the bedroom and stopped to think twice whether he was ready to step inside. He then slowly pushed the door aside. Light blue and white and flowers everywhere. Peace and quiet, and warmth; and that perfume. His sight gazed upon her sleeping. His eyes turned blue, the deepest most pure blue of them all. It was like a night vision to him and an alarm signal warning him not to get any closer to a potential victim.

But she wasn't a victim. She was simply a perfume bottle. He could see that intoxicating smell rising from her body in colors of white and yellow and red and green. A rainbow of colors. Bella twisted in her sleep and her aura shifted colors to mauve and deep green. She was dreaming. Most likely with vampires. He could see it in her energy discharge that she was handling the hidden truth. Edward leaned against the window frame and watched carefully. Her lips parted as she twisted one more time. It was like she was trying to pronounce something. Her aura darkened further. The eyelids flickered continuously and Edward found it hard to stay put and not comfort her. It's not comfort she needs he argued to himself. She needs to calm down and keep that truth hidden. That's why he was here right? To make her keep that truth she discovered deep inside away from her awareness. She need not let the truth surface.

Edward approached her bed. He leaned over and pressed his open palm on her forehead. She was burning and the impact with his stone cold hand made both of them halt abruptly. Edward lost his breath and Bella's aura turned to bright yellow as her heart raced pushing forcefully the blood through the pumping veins. He heard it coming, climbing up her shoulder and through her throat, behind the ear and into the temples, pulsating underneath his skin and it became an unbearable touch. His pupils formed a dark ring of desire; his gums pulled backwards releasing the sharp fangs from their fleshy sheath. He resisted, tightening his lips together as much as he could. Her aura slowly turned white, floating around her like a sphere of glowing powder. She had somehow sensed his effort and relaxed to help the blood rush slow down and help him resist. Edward could not understand how she managed to sense his struggle. Humans and vampires were not spiritually connected because vampires had no soul. And he did not believe in coincidences. Her energy release fascinated him, calmed him down. He felt the pain in his gums dilute.

"Ash…" Edward froze instantaneously and watched her in disbelief. Her eyes were still closed. She was still asleep. But he heard it as clear as an atomic blast; she spoke his name. Ash was how his mother used to call him, Ash is what his closest friends called him, vampires almost as old as him. Ash is something no human has ever heard and yet, here he was with this strange girl calling him by this name while asleep. Her lips rested. She seemed to be sound asleep. Edward kneeled at her bed side. If he could sweat, he would have at that very moment.

Her aura was still there above their heads floating restless. Transparent and treacherous. The truth had never left her mind, actually it was more powerful now. His presence had only made it worse and somehow he did not feel uncomfortable with it. He rested his hand close to hers. He observed them closely. He wouldn't touch it. Enough harm done for one night. Ash… the tone of her voice kept ringing in his ear; soothing, deep and irresistibly appealing. He felt this pulsation in his groin and if his heart weren't dead he would have sworn to have felt a heart beat. No fight no matter how intense, no physical effort no matter how demanding and no woman, vampire or human, has made him feel this way. It was unique and unrecognizable to him. He was aroused and it felt like the most stupid thing ever to happen to him. He had not tasted her blood, had barely touched her, had only called her name once and there he was, aroused and behaving like an adolescent. He smiled at the warmth he felt coming up his spine, merging into the back of his brain making him numb and a bit dizzy. That was the most awkward and out of this world sensation he had ever experienced. Vampires don't get dizzy with anything, they are always focused, even if they could get high on drugs or stone faced drunk their senses would still automatically connect to anything moving around them. Yet he felt soft and relaxed. How could this be?

He went up and left the bedroom. In the door step he turned around to take one more look at her. She and her aura were beautiful. She had not noticed how delicate she actually was, she acted so feisty all the time. A delicate tomboy.

A sudden noise and the huge ceramics vase next to the door fell to the floor. Time stopped as Edward reached for it and caught it seconds before it touched ground. Behind him the waves of his movement made the air tremble. He lifted the vase and as he stood up he saw her, eyes wide open staring at him. Instinctively he withdrew into hyperspace and disappeared before she could even blink. From outside the balcony he glimpsed rapidly towards the bedroom. His sharp senses didn't get any movement. He jumped and landed next to the car. He got in and without starting the engine he pushed the car effortlessly up the road trying to keep his movements as silent as possible. Soon he got lost in the dark and from afar you could hear the engine running.

Upstairs Bella continued staring at the dark. Her body was cold and motionless. She looked at the vase, turning her head right and left, checking whether she was dreaming and that vase was still standing. She saw it fall. She heard it fall. And before it had fallen it was back standing. And he was there. Edward, he was there, next to that vase. And now he wasn't. But she did see him! She wasn't crazy! And she wasn't sleepwalking either! She had her eyes wide open and he was there, dressed in black, with his pale face and spearing eyes, looking like a predator. And then he was gone, leaving a shadow behind him like a trace in time of his presence.

She dropped on the bed sheets. Was she losing her mind? She should've checked the windows and doors to see whether anything was open. But somehow she knew it would be of no use. He didn't use any of them. Why was she thinking that? The man is not a vampire and he wasn't there, it was all in her head. That book; she should have never taken the job! It was too personal and close to her secret desires and foolish dreams. And she didn't have the time for this. She felt cold and pulled the covers up her shoulders. Still… his image in the door step persisted. Her eyes flickered beneath the closed eyelids. "Let go…" she didn't know whether the words came from within her mind or someone else had spoken them. Hours passed by. She found it hard to fall asleep. Dawn was cracking in the horizon when she finally drifted into an agitated dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER 4

Late afternoon and still no call from her. Edward paced through his office, sometimes forgetting to keep it at a human level and papers were blown of his desk as he swift by. He could just reach her mind and put it in her head to call him but then again, he didn't want to do that with her. She was very hard to read anyways, like a hard shell to crack. He stopped looking out the office window. No children giggling today. That made him even more unhappy. Edward grabbed the phone and dialed her number. Ringing. Ringing.

"Hello…" Edward closed his eyes for a second smiling in relief. She sounded tired and moody.

"Hi, this is Edward." He waited for a reaction but nothing. "Is everything ok?" He could picture her swearing at him. He smiled again. He knew the image of him next to that damn vase had lingered in her brain.

"No, nothing wrong." Her tone had turned professional at once. "Just a long morning I guess. I am sorry I haven't called until now. I managed to get through part of the book yesterday. A very interesting lecture. I can…" there she stopped and Edward heard movement. "I could also come today. I am not sure when exactly though. How much of a bother would it be if I showed up unannounced?"

"No bother at all. As I said, there is always someone at the house." He heard her sigh.

"Ok. I'll come by later today. Would you like a feedback on what I've learnt so far? I can do that in about an hour or so and email it to you."

"No, that's ok. You haven't reached the part that interests me the most. We'll sit down for a chat when you're done with the entire thing."

"Ok. No problem. Thanks for the call and I'm sorry I didn't get to you first." Oh, but you did, thought Edward to himself.

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for your time." He was so nice to her, sincerely nice. That's not like him.

And how in the world did he know whether she had reached the part he was interested in or not? His assistant/friend/valet or whatever that guy was, wasn't in there with her, and she definitely didn't tell him! He probably saw where the book was left open. That was it. Bella calmed down now that she found a solution to her own problem. Somehow she was upset, no, she was angry with him, and she couldn't tell why. He was in front of her eyes, right there next to that damn vase, she did not dream about it, she refused to believe she had been dreaming. She doesn't dream with men she had barely met. And if she did dream about a man it would probably be a bit more… intense! NOT him seating by a god damn vase staring at her like he was ready to eat her out!

Damn it! How could it have been him? And after all, was she pissed with her not being able to properly remember how much of it was reality and how much her sick fantasizing or was she pissed because, fantasy or not, she adored and craved to have him watch her at night like she thought he did. Even if he just sat there next to that stupid vase! She had cursed that vase so much that it will probably brake soon. Bella dropped in the chair behind her desk, annoyed with her uncertainty. The time showed 3:22PM. She should hurry handling other chorus if she was to go take care of Edward's business any time soon. How she hated his name! hated hated hated!

The gates opened and her little car parked again in the dream garden. As usual her host, a true gentleman saw her to the library after making sure she is comfortable with everything. Once left alone with her book, Bella took a moment to rest. The entire day was hectic. The night before had sucked her dry of all her energy. She felt like the intercity had run her twice both sides of her head. She brought her glasses. She seldom used them but today the letters seemed to have a mind of their own and chased each other on the paper. She put them on and turned on the light. The Legend.

It was said that the new King, Edward was the oldest and most powerful vampire. His strength defied imagination and his powers were limitless. The way they described it he could've jumped from one sky scraper to another and feel like walk in the park to him. He could've lifted a bus with his bare hands and throw it meters away, run faster than the human eye can perceive, covering miles in seconds. He could see through human flesh, distinguish things at night as if it were day and hear noises from afar, no matter how insignificant. He was the ultimate warrior, skilled in weaponry of all sorts, a master mind of war strategy and technology. Bella shifted her body wait in the chair. Well, it looks like the guy had it all!

Yet his powers were also his curse. As the only born immortal and leader of them all his duty lay with his kind, teaching his followers into rightness and defeating his enemies for the world's welfare. But keeping the whole world safe was a 24/7 job and he was not allowed to have a moment of peace and quiet. His duty was to sacrifice his destiny for mankind with no one to ease his passing of time. And a long time had passed since he was born and a long time was still ahead of him.

Bella stopped reading. She had never looked at it this way, in all her lectures about vampires, she had never thought of such a sad destiny. Saving the world meant doing good, doing good supposed to bring you happiness and fulfillment. But the truth was that as the sole ruler he could not afford friendship or love around him. People dear to him might die, might betray him… How can you live an eternity in solitude fighting for a cause that after all, he could do without? She bounced back and forth in the chair trying to figure an answer to that. She put the glasses back on and started reading again.

Still, almost 2,000 years into his existence the king would be given one chance to find comfort in his lonely life. To find someone he can share the burden with, someone he alone can find if he read the signs correctly. A woman. Not vampire, but human. A woman that will recognize him instinctively without even knowing she is meant for him. A woman that could feed him with her energy, heal him with her blood and sooth him putting a soul into his dead heart. A woman that could bare his children. Bella dropped the pen. Her breathing became inconsistent and she felt her palms sweatier and sweatier. Bare his children? Vampires don't have sex! Not even in movies! "Hahahaha…" her mind laughed hysterically! The guy who wrote this stuff wasn't much into vampire history for sure. Vampires feed on humans; they don't invite them over for dinner to then make out! Geez!

She adjusted the glasses on her nose and noticed her hand was trembling visibly. What was wrong with her? She had repeated that question so many times since she met Edward that now was part of every day mind talk. It was just a story, just a story, keep that in mind, why shaking over it! So the legend went on. The woman was to bare his children. And also complete his curse. As much as he would want this woman, as much as he would love her, he could not have her. He will not be able to approach her and enjoy her in any way or he would kill her. This woman, out of all humans on the face of the earth would be the most appealing, tasty and delicious to his vampire senses, making it impossible for him to resist his thirst when around her.

Bella was enraged. So he was only given the chance to find her, fall in love with her and not have her. What kind of chance is that? Have one chance to your true love and not be able to enjoy it but from afar! That's not a chance, that's torture. She felt entitled to be angry; she had always been a defender of love and romance, ever since she was a child watching cartoons on Rai Uno. She smiled at the thought then laid eyes on the book in front of her. This was not right. Why would anyone be cursed to go through something like this? She flipped the page. The legend said that even though he was not to get too close to her, he could approach her every hundred years and spend time together for maybe a few weeks, enough to refill his heart with strength for the next hundred years until they met again. It spoke of reincarnation. Humans died and their soul would be reborn in another body in a different time. Same with this woman. She would live one life to then die and live another with no memories of what happened in the life before. But he… immortal, always remembering, always witnessing their love, witnessing it born to then die without him being able to do anything about it.

The book told of how she would always fall for him; in all of her lives if they met she would fall in love with him. And every time when their time was up he would kiss her and through their kiss he would make her forget him the moment he was out of sight. He had to make her forget so she stays safe. No memories, no pain, no danger. She would die of old age and not remember him or their love.

There was a trick to all this. If she was to be killed by him she would not reincarnate and her soul would be lost for ever. Without her to refill him with energy he would either become ruthless changing the faith of many or he would perish of solitude. Even an immortal like him had ways to die. Bella was shocked and saddened like never before. The facts affected her personally. Who was this woman? And how it must've hurt her to know that the only kiss she could get from him was also the kiss that would bring them apart for another hundred years! Why didn't she fight for him and convince him to stay? And why didn't she try to get close to him, physically? Love conquers all! Love conquers all, he must know that if he really loved her!

Bella hurt inside. Poor Edward, she thought. Being obliged to always leave her, to always wait for her, to never enjoy her. Coward! Bastard! She was confused. To hate him, to pity him! She leaned back in the chair. The last line of the Legend read clearly: _Il a déjà commence… _It has already started. So he had already met her!

What was she thinking? This was a story, nothing else and Edward was a normal rich guy, eccentric but normal, not a vampire! She needed to put some sense into her head because soon she was to meet with him and she had to relate the translation like a professional translator not look like some desperate councilor trying to help him out with his immortal life. The thought relaxed her face into a smile. Of course she could control herself. She simply got carried away by the story. She realized she had held on her breath and her chest hurt with the tension. She bounced her head back and looked at the ceiling. If she had the time and if she were allowed she would explore all these books! There were probably amazing stories in there! She sighed. She still felt sad, sadder than she should have been and she couldn't get rid of the feeling.

She got up from the chair and walked through the library. It was passed 7PM. God, it was so late. She didn't care. Today had proven a sad day and she was already tired from the previous night. The image of Edward sitting next to the vase with those big beautiful penetrating blue eyes made her swallow painfully. Her thoughts were conflicting. He wanted to sooth him. But why sooth him if he was just another man unrelated to the vampire in the story. She felt her head ready to explode. She needed to leave the mansion as quickly as possible. She had to finish this job as quickly as possible to and get away from this temptation. She took her things and left the room without looking back. She hated herself for getting so involved, and then again she couldn't figure out how she got so affected by it. Two days ago she didn't care for this man at all, and now she felt like she needed to comfort him and that she was the only one to do it right. She was angry with herself for being this weak and mentally unstable, damn it!

She almost ran out and stumbled on someone on the way. It was Falken.

"Mrs. Swan? Everything ok?" Bella just looked at him for a second then continued down the hall.

"Tell Mr. Cullen that he will have his translation and interpretation of the text by Friday. I will set a meeting with him to discuss the details. Thanks."

Falken was left speechless in the door step. He then went inside looking for his cell.

"Cullen?" The noise on the background told Falken Edward was doing his usual drifting down the hills outside town. "Can you speak?" He heard a tense laughter.

"Of course, I can drive with my eyes shut, remember! What's up?" The squeal of the tires made the conversation almost impossible. And so did the heavy metal music in the radio.

"Something happened with Bella. Hello, can you hear me?"

"Falken you're acting like an idiot! Of course I can hear you! I can hear you in my head 'cause you're screaming! What happened?"

"I don't know. She almost ran out of the mansion. I think she's on to something. She finished reading the Legend. She said you'll have the translation done until Friday and that she'll call to set an appointment."

"Well if she just read the story and she doesn't have a copy of it, how can she translate it? Did she memorize it?" The noise had stopped, only the purring of the engine was still hearable.

"I don't know man. All I know is that she stormed out of here like crazy and she had the ugliest aura I've seen in a while."

At the other end Edward focused on the remains of her energy within him. They were in motion, stirred to a maximum, blazing with red and yellow, and a violent blue and dark violet.

"I'll take care of it. Keep the book safe and call Tanos. Tell him I have to see him tonight. ASAP."

"Got it."

Bella drove up to her apartment and locked the door behind her. Outside the wind started blowing heavily and the balcony curtains were flanging violently from one side to another. A summer storm was closing in. A storm was already raging inside her head. She forced herself towards the living room and shut the sliding doors, then got rid of the shoes and one by one her clothes came of as she hurried to turn on the shower. She didn't take the make up off, she didn't feel like it. Under the hot steamy water her muscles relaxed, even though her brain was just as tense. All she could think about was Edward. In her mind there was no doubt that he was the one and the same with the vampire king in the story. It all added up. His appearance, pale white, very dark features, his secluded mansion, his scarce presence in the outside world, his obscure background and now his entourage. And his peculiar interest in this book. Tears sprang from her eyes and she felt like a complete fool. Somehow all of her loneliness stumbled down on her and all the negative side of her life was now more obvious than ever. She yearned to have someone close. She wanted him close. How come she had got so attached to this man without even realizing it? Love at first sight. Is that what they call it? But love at first sight between a human and a vampire could only be one sided. She had fallen in love with a character from a book, that's what she did. Even if Edward was a vampire, he would never admit it to her or maybe killed her. She chocked with the water running down her cheeks as she sobbed crouched on the shower floor.

15 minutes later she left the bathroom feeling dizzy with the intense heat and steam inside. She put the bath rob on and she dragged her feet in the bedroom. She sat on the side and took a look in the mirror. The make up was almost gone but a black shadow was left right under the eyes adding at least 10 years to her age. She didn't care. She allowed her body to fall sideways and fold into the bed sheets. It started raining. Little powerful drops hit the glass at wind speed and put on a strange music for her burning mind. She closed her eyes. Ash…

The car halted on the wet pavement. Edward looked at the poring rain outside. His mood was just like it. Cold, moody and unpredictable. He got out of the car and by the time he got to the villa door he was soaking wet. He chose a number and rang. An elderly voice answered. He instantly connected to the lady at the other end and told her to open. The voice went quiet, then a feeble "yes" followed and the door opened. He didn't feel like doing any vampire stunts now. He climbed up the stair case to her door. He forced the lock and pushed it open. He will take care of the repairs later. Complete silence, no sound other than the rain lashing into the windows through the tree leaves. He dropped the coat on his way to the bedroom. He could sense her strongly; there were such powerful markings of her presence everywhere. Dark and blurry. She was sleeping crouched on the bed, her right foot dangling on the side of the bed. The bath rob had moved down revealing her light tanned skin, up her shoulder and neck. She was so exposed. Her long black hair curled around the bed sheets, hands with palms wide open, quivering red lips. Her aura was like a dark cloud. So dark that it almost burst with thunder, so tremendously agitated, flickering and sparking in the chalky light of the room. Edward stood careful to observe it. He knew she wasn't dreaming, she just couldn't control the information inside her head. She must've been in a trance, caught between what her heart believed and what her mind dictated.

He came by the bed and slowly lifted her in his arms, so gently that she didn't react to his cold touch. He curled his left arm around her waist while with his right palm he cupped her face, bringing it close to his. The long black strands caressed the back of his hand as he used his thumb to massage her temple. He brought her even closer, almost molding her body on his. Her face was now so close to his he could feel her breath lingering on his marble carved cheeks. That and the beat of her heart spreading radiant fire through his chest made his eyes turn blue on the spot. He closed them for a little while floundering in his mind looking for self-control. She was so beautiful, so fragile; he could hardly feel her weight in his arms. He could've harmed her so easily! Little by little Bella opened her eyes, barely. When seeing him her face formed a grimace of pain and her body shivered, but didn't move. Her hands hang loose on the sides of her body, vulnerable and powerless. She sustained his regard with sleepy but clear eyes.

"Am I dreaming?" Her voice was as feeble as her lame body. But the question still remained demanding.

Edward looked her in the eye. In the dark the sky blue of his pupils looked like lanterns, alluring her, calling her… silencing all of her demands. Bella's face relaxed, the skin shinned like porcelain in the moon light and Edward thought that a squeeze more on her tinny body and she would crumble into pieces. His lips parted and trembled with the air coming out forcefully.

"No." He thought he saw the shadow of a smile flickering in the corner of her mouth. So she was right, she wasn't crazy. He was there, next to that stupid vase. Just as he was here now. Her heavy eyelids gave in and she closed her eyes under the pressure of his. Edward felt her hands reach for his shirt, clanging on it. He lowered his head following her movement. Bella suddenly opened her eyes and pushed herself to him.

"Kiss me." Edward froze. She was holding his shirt so tightly in her fists he was amazed with her force. He smiled and then filled his vision with the beauty of her face. Her aura was brightening but was still just as agitated as when he had come through the door. Slowly, obliviously, their bodies folded into one and Edward let his lips close up on hers. Touching. Her breath was making him dizzy. The sweetness of her skin made his head feel heavy and clouded his judgment. Like through a dream, Bella quivered at the winter-cold touch of his mouth on hers. She could feel the tip of the canines gently pushing on her lower lip, with that much care to keep her from harm. One more effort and she could capture those perfect lips with hers. She gathered all of her strength and pulled one more time on his shirt. She didn't know where she got the power to do it, but it happened. His lips came on hers and he felt the smooth surface of his fangs pressing against the softness of her mouth. It was the most beautiful sensation she had ever experienced. Thousands of butterflies were flying down in her belly; her chest was burning with immense desire, her groin was pulsating from the same and his hands on her back and face felt so good, like ice cubs soothing the fire inside.

His breath was fresh menthe and she wanted to inspire it all, as much as she could take in. Edward gently caught her upper lip with his teeth and pulled on it, just for a short second. She almost missed on it. A deep-throat moan made its way through the parted lips as she tried to get him to kiss her. His jaw trembled. The muscles flickered tense under the skin. He came down on her mouth one more time, this time closing his eyes and simply inhaling her flavor. Their lips fit perfectly. He tried to keep a decent distance between their mouths, not really kissing her, but playing, teasing her senses. Just letting their lips mingle, touch, melt and mould on each other. His tongue traced a slow and painful line down her lower lip and Bella believed his tongue on her lips felt like the most erotic thing she'd ever felt.

Edward changed position letting go of her face, walking his palm through her hair to sustain her head as he pulled it backwards, ready to take more of her lips this time. The bathrobe fell open and the image of her naked shoulders came flashing before his eyes. Her skin was moisture with that incredible scent of hers, with warmth, slowly pulsating in the savage rhythm of her heart. Edward flipped inside at the sight. His vampire nature couldn't have been given a sweeter invitation to dig in that graceful neck and suck it dry. Yet in his stubbornness, eyes shut, he plunged to take her mouth, commuting his mind to her lips and her lips alone.

"Don't kiss her!"

Inches away from her lips Edward's eyes flickered peering through the dark. The voice in his head repeated itself.

"Edward, don't kiss her!" This time enhancing each word. Edward saw Tanos sitting on the balcony looking at him. His mouth was sealed but he went talking to him.

"Let her go and come with me. You can do it, come on. Let her go… _Don't_ kiss her!"

The rain was coming down in heavy threads of water on Tanos' long leather coat. He remained motionless with his blue eyes burning.

Edward turned towards the girl in his arms. Bella had opened her eyes and was looking at him. God he was beautiful, and beautiful was a deem description of this man! She did not and could not see Tanos on the balcony behind her. She thought she heard Edward growl, but then again maybe it was just the rain.

"I…" her lips parted as she tried to speak. Edward held her close, hiding her face to his chest, while putting his lips on her forehead. That sweetness… Bella murmured something against his neck, trying to reach for his face again. He continued to gently immobilize her, soothing her with whispers in her hair. His heart was again galloping, just like the other night. He gave Tanos an angry look. Tanos sustained it and again made his point. Bella felt his furious breathing on her ear. He let her go and cupped her face with both hands. She managed to smile. She couldn't still keep her eyes fully open. For some reason she was completely weakened around him, drifting; there was only him, him and his hypnotizing eyes. She tip toed. Her lips were such a tempting invitation. Edward moaned and made her back down, hiding her in a tight embrace.

"Sleep…" his voice came down as a water fountain to her senses. She tried to oppose. "Close your eyes… please…" his lips came down on her skin again and again, choking while trying to control himself into being gentle.

Bella fought for a moment longer then her body relaxed and her head dropped to his shoulder. Her aura remained bright and motionless. His mind force had calmed her down, but he knew it wouldn't last. He tucked her in bed and then caressed the long strands spreading on the pillow. Minutes later he sat in the rain next to the car, carefully analyzing Tanos. He managed to put the door lock back together and as a precaution he created a force field around the apartment to give her an invisible protection towards the likes of him.

"This better be good!" he got in the car and started the engine. Tanos didn't comment, just got in on the passenger's seat. The car engine started up angrily. All that was left was the rain.

CHAPTER 5

The door slammed behind him. Falken turned of the TV. Edward stormed into the library with Tanos following him. He dropped in the armchair next to Bella's desk, the water still dripping from his hair.

"I'm listening." Even a statue looked more human than him. And if Gods existed, well, they'd look like him, furious and breathtaking. Tanos measured his words carefully.

"What were you doing there?" his tone betrayed the inner agitation but kept the conversation at an inquisitor level.

"Since when do I get questioned on my actions?"

"Edward you are and you remain my lord for as long as I will be on this earth. But do remember I am here to protect you not harm you and my questions have a point to them." His voice brought the dialogue down to a less steep slope.

Edward breathed nervously. He stood up and leaned against the fireplace.

"Talk."

"Remember 1,809… Remember that late fall in Poland." Tanos watched him closely. Edward frowned looking through his memories.

"That's sometime ago…"

"233 years to be more exact. That's when you first met her."

"Met her?" Edward turned around to watch his historian in the eye. "Met who?"

"Bella." Edward almost burst into laughter.

"Remember Edward. You almost gave your life to save hers back then."

"Ok, two inconsistencies in one sentence Tanos: one, I cannot give my life cause I don't have one and then again I'm immortal. And second, if she was so important how come I don't remember?"

"You know you can die if you're too weakened to fight and don't feed in time and second, as soon as we took her out of the picture I made a potion for you to cleanse your memory so we can heal you…physically." Tanos took a moment and sat in the armchair from across the fireplace.

"Cleanse my memory? Oh so now we're also magicians! Tanos you're losing it!"

"And the fact that you have not lost all your senses about this girl is a proof to that liquor not being real magic, just a temporary bandage to the brain!" Tanos raised his voice a bit facing his masters' stubbornness. "Why do you think you never let go of this damn book and you've been trying to find it so hard? Why do you think you chose her out of all translators and _why_ do you think you were there tonight, almost killing her?"

"I was not killing her!"

"Your sexual attraction to her means her death! You cannot control it!"

Edward started walking through the room.

"What happened in Poland? What does that and this have to do with this book… and what… just what the hell is going on?"

"Poland… We were handling the riot in the suburbs. A row of serial murders that appeared to be the hand of a religious fanatic or some demon possessed soul. It had gotten out of hand and you decided you wanted to see to the matter personally along with Jasper and Falken. Weeks after arriving there the problem had become more acute. We discovered that the serial killer was in fact an entire small covenant of insurgents. The few killings out in the street were just for fun. Beyond that there were many more victims on which they fed and never let surface into the real world. A war broke and in the middle of it you ran into her. She was part of a numerous family. Had a mother, a father, a sister who was married to a blacksmith and had two twin nieces. She came from a modest family, but just like now she was an incredible being. Fit for you. The war spilt into their home and one night several vampires killed half of her family. She watched her nieces being slain along with the rest of her kind. You arrived there before it all ended and saved her from their rage. You took her deep into the woods and left us behind to do the cleaning." Tanos saw how Edward calmed down all of a sudden as he rummaged through the past to find that one episode he did not seem to remember. Tanos knew he would. He just needed time and needed her. "They must've followed you because days after we found you in this abandoned cottage with her at your side. You were so weak you couldn't walk; your body was a wreck. You would've probably been worse if she hadn't been there to care for you."

"Did she know what I was?"

"Yes… she fed you so you can make it…"

"Fed me on what?"

"On her… her blood has an incredible regenerative power on you. Considering the fights you went through you were in a pretty good shape. We found about the fights later." Tanos silenced.

"She saved me…"

"You saved each other. And you were inseparable afterwards. Somehow you couldn't stay away from her and you took her with us to our improvised headquarters."

"And? What happened? Come on Tanos speak up! Why did she go away? Why don't I remember?"

"Because you nearly killed her."

Falken had sneaked in and witnessed the scene. Edward's eyes fell on him and the three of them remained motionless for a while.

"Why…?"

"Because you got too close." Tanos' voice halted showing that he had rested his case. Edward dropped back in the armchair.

"She did seem very familiar, I couldn't get my eyes of her. You drugged me so I don't remember her and harm her again?"

"Pretty much. But it's not working" Tanos smiled feebly. "It's meant to be."

"The legend."

"The legend."

"It's just a legend."

"Is it?"

"Falken, you were there. What do you think?" Edward turned towards his friend in the doorway.

Falken adopted a more secure position on the door step and hemmed his voice.

"Well, legend or no legend there is something very weird in here. Tanos is right, you were in love with her years ago. It was difficult breaking you apart. And it staid with you. And with her. And now, since you met her again you are so caught up; and the way she reacts to you is beyond strange. There is an obvious connection in the middle."

"Do you think she remembers?"

"No way. She is mortal. She is now living another life than the one where you met her. She doesn't remember anything. But she can sense it. I think. This whole thing is awkward."

"I thought the legend gave all the answers."

"The legend is a story about possible facts. Reality is what you make of it."

"Listen to yourself!" Edward rebuffed in his early anger but it appeared this new revelation had sucked in his powers, and the words came out weakened. "I love her and I kill her at the same time. It's impossible!"

"It already happened once. It will happen again."

"Until when?"

"Until it's over one way or another."

"And which way is it more likely to happen?"

The other two men silenced and weighted the chances.

"That she dies."

"Oh great… this is such bullshit! It was pure coincidence! She probably was special; there probably was some chemistry; that was it."

"Then again… why were you there tonight?"

"I already told you!"

"Tell me again"

"To…" Edward ached inside.

"I know you don't remember Ash. But it's there. Don't lie to yourself. You can feel it every time you're close to her. You feel more human than you felt in the past millennium and it's all because of her."

"So what? You kept this away from me, you kept me away from myself! How am I supposed to handle this now? Just go out there and kill her to get it over with?"

"It's your call. But if she dies part of you will die with her. Big part. And if you don't kill her than you have to take her as your responsibility, because if others catch on her being your other half, they will be the ones to kill her."

"Why would they give a damn as long as she is still human and worthless to them?"

"Because she is your strength and motivation."

"I've had my strength and motivation for almost 2 millenniums without her in my life."

"True. But now things have changed whether you like it or not and your priorities have shifted to something else better."

"Better? What can be better?" Edward plaid with one of the buttons to his shirt. "Ok! What if I turn her? If she's immortal than she can be with me for ever and they won't be able to kill her either!"

"She didn't want to be turned the last time. She won't want to be turned now either."

Edward flipped.

"Why not?"

"Somehow she is meant to be in your life for a greater purpose than even being with you. And for that she needs to stay human."

"Oh that's just really fucked up! _What are you talking about_? As selfish as it may sound, what greater purpose than keeping me alive and happy, is there? I've got enough of this!"

"I don't know, and no one can tell you. Not even the legend…"

"Fuck that stupid legend. Is just a legend, that's why they call it a legend right? She will come tomorrow and tell me about this legend of yours and then she will be out of my life and I will be out of hers and it's all gonna stop! No one will die and I will make it just as I have so far! The end!"

Edward pushed the desk aside as he made his way out of the room. He passed Falken by without looking him in the eye. Tanos took a few steps into following him. Falken laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Give him time. If that thing is true, something will happen to keep them both tangled on the same road."

Tanos listened but his eyes were still measuring the dark trail left by Edward in his flight up the stairs.

"Ya. I guess so. We need to keep a sharp eye out for anything menacing. And on him as well. He got too close tonight."

"Tanos…" Falken straightened his shoulders as he walked next to the historian. "Do you really think he would hurt her? I mean I know what happened the last time… but… still…"

Tanos stopped to watch his friend.

"He doesn't want to, but he will. It's unavoidable."

"He is in very good control of his thirst. In better control than any of us."

"But it's not his thirst that's causing all the problems. He is physically attracted to her. At some point if they remain together they will end up too close and that's when everything will get out of hand. You've been close to her. Have you scented her?"

"She's mouthwatering. She's got some powerful scents I admit. Particular. Very sweet." Falken laughed.

"Very enchanting. Stay long enough around her and you'll know."

"Well, I don't think I want to now" he went on laughing. "I like the girl though. I liked her back then too. Brave and smart. I hope they make it. Ash is a great guy."

"I didn't know you're such a softy" Tanos padded Falken on the shoulder.

"Shut up man, don't say that out loud, I have a reputation to look after."

"Cracker! When are Michael and Jasper flying in? We need them for when things are getting hot."

"They should be here by tomorrow night. Do they know of her?"

"They'll sense her soon enough. Now let's go. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Make sure Bella comes here. Make sure they're alone and undisturbed."

"I thought we were supposed to keep them separate and away from each other!"

"Well, we tried that before and it didn't work. Let's try the other away around this time."

Falken took a few steps on the stair case.

"I like playing dangerous." Tanos smiled. "Edward won't like this. He doesn't believe it."

"Just make sure you play your part, he will believe soon enough. If this comes out right, we might witness what no one else has witnessed in human or vampire history."

Falken refrained from asking what that would be. There were stories of vampires and humans trying to have sex, sometimes it was done but in all cases the human had died. That wasn't something unheard of. But Tanos must've had some ace up his sleeve. He always did.

"Night Tanos."

"Night Falken." Tanos watched Falken drag his feet upstairs. "We're softening on the humans" he thought smiling. "Even Jasper…" His smile broadened when he remembered that Jasper took a bullet to defend Bella years ago and he didn't even like her. That girl had them all charmed. A shadow darkened his sight for a second. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. Fate should handle this. They couldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 6

Bella opened her eyes. She felt empty. Her eyes stared emptily at the balcony window. The sunny weather outside contrasted with her feelings. Confusion. Heartache. Loneliness. Cold. Unconsciously she felt the side of her neck. No markings. Her skin was untouched. Yet all of her body reverberated with his touch, with his caress. She could still feel his lips on hers. It felt like it had just happened the moment before. Chills went down her spine and the emotion felt so vivid that it brought tears in her eyes. He was surely hypnotizing her. She couldn't understand how else she got to be so madly in love with him in a matter of days. In love with him? Of course, she was. But why tease her? Why play with her? He could've simply killed her if he wanted to have her blood. Given his powers it would've taken less than a fraction of a second. She was so sick; she wasn't even bothered by the thought that he would lay hands on her to just end her life. It was ok with her, she trusted him that much. "That's it! You just snap out of it, I swear to God that I'll…" she threatened herself. "You get your ass out of bed and go do what you have to do. You very well know it's in your head, in your sick twisted mind, this entire vampire story. He wasn't here last night, just like he wasn't here the night before! You should start writing again and put this whole mess on paper and get it out of your system! And yes, get a boyfriend you dumb ass!"

Bella jumped of bed and dropping the bath towel she hurried into the shower. The more she looked in the mirror the more that weakened by love face surfaced and made her angry. "You're in for a smack bottom!" she warned the reflection staring back at her. The shower was refreshing and she soon improved her spirit into a more cheerful attitude. She was going to end this. Face this handsome man that she dreamed about – no biggy there, all women and men have those sorts of dreams – well, not all… ant not like hers, but who cares! She was gonna show him and her that things are simple and gonna stay that way. Balance! Always have balance in your life! Especially in your head! That's where all the rotten stuff comes from! She smiled again. She could actually be a funny character when she wanted it. She combed her hair in a pony tail, grabbed a pair of jeans and a "Loveable" T-shirt. A little daring she thought, thinking back at her "dreams", but daring is what she needed to feel courageous and face Edward. She checked her face in the mirror one more time. The few days she had at the local pool had given her a nice tan. A little mascara and she was ready to go. And that cherry flavored lipstick she always wore in the purse. She looked at the files she brought home with her.

She didn't have the translation. She had just read the document not translated it. It wasn't what he had asked of her, but then again she felt she had to put an end to this. She was either going to tell him what the legend was about and then have someone else take care of the translation or just end the project at this stage. The door slammed behind her as she rushed down the stair case humming her favorite rock song.

Edward sat undisturbed in the living room with Falken at his side. Tanos had left to pick up Michael and Jasper who were flying in earlier than expected. The TV was on but only Falken was really interested in the news. Edward seemed absent minded and unaware of the activity around him.

"We should go to Moscow next week. Nikolaev is giving me some disturbing sightseeing of new vampires in town."

"Maybe it's nothing" Edward answered automatically.

Falken watched him intrigued. "Should I have him look into it and give us more feedback?"

"Ya, do that." His voice remained plane and uninterested. Falken laid back in the armchair without any further comments. Then the rumble outside on the pebble pavement made them both turn heads towards the large windows.

"She's here."

"Bring her into my study. Bring the book there please."

Bella stood in front of the door. She looked around admiring the red roses climbing up the walls. Somehow the morning sun light was making her feel positive about the meeting. Light was good. It was pure and filled her with energy. The door opened and Falken invited her in.

"Welcome back. Hope you're ok." He smiled for the first time and Bella was amazed to see how pleased she was with recognizing a nice flattering smile in him. "He is upstairs in his study. Please, follow me."

Bella got a knot in her stomach. She had never been upstairs before. The feeling of novelty made her unease. Upstairs must of also meant bedrooms. His bedroom. Intimate parts of this house where she didn't particularly wanted to be. But she nodded and followed Falken obediently. She looked down the wide stair case and she could imagine herself dressed in a long black dress, slowly pacing on the amethyst carpet, with him watching her with loving eyes, under the candle light in the entrance lobby. Bella rolled her eyes in a drastic and painful way. "That's what you get for day dreaming again. Don't lose focus right now!" she reminded herself. The corridor at the first floor was immense, filled with light and color, and lots of flowers, just like downstairs. The atmosphere was comfy and welcoming. Luxury was of course omnipresent, but decent and of an excellent taste. They stopped somewhere in the east wing of the mansion. The last door along the corridor; a massive dark wooden door, with golden handles and strange carvings.

"Please. Anything I can get you?" Falken's courtesy was impeccable as always.

"No thank you. I won't be long." Bella smiled in return. Then she entered the room and the entire outside world disappeared. So did the light she had so much craved for to keep her floating into reality.

Heavy red velvet curtains covered the windows; no stream of light could get through those. A few elegant lamps gave a dim light into the room; in the back of it, a fireplace where a small fire smoldered quietly inside. Edward was seated next to it, dressed in his usual black clothes. The silky shirt had a mild shine in the glowing flames. His skin, just as white as she remembered it was implacable in its perfection; his lips still and perfectly contoured, his eyes so black that tar seemed just a nuance of black, his powerful hands resting lazily on the sides of the armchair. Perfect… Bella remained fascinated with his image, not taking a step further. His eyes penetrated her very soul and she realized how much she had lied to herself when coming here. She glimpsed at the windows. If she only got a bit of light she'd feel free of his charm again. But his voice shuddered her early escape attempt.

"Please, come, sit down." Oh, God how she recognized that deep voice, how it gave her the goose bumps down her arms! She didn't dream, she didn't dream at all, and he was there so close to her, his lips on hers, almost kissing, almost tasting, almost… killing you, you stupid idiot! "Come to your senses!" She could only imagine how her face looked when she approached him.

Edward watched her as she sat in front of him, in an armchair he'd reserved especially for her. In his range. He smiled to the thought. The meeting was not going as he had planned. She had just entered the room and he was already losing control. Her scent invaded his nostrils since she walked through the door down stairs, but now that she was this close it urged him to close his eyes and sink his nostrils into her hair and have some more of this drug. He resisted it and tried to remain as motionless as possible. Rigid. Her casual look warmed his heart and he hated himself for always having to see her on business matters. "Loveable". He almost laughed, but on the outside Bella just saw a smile. How could she come see him dressed with a T-shirt that read "Loveable"? Was she trying to nail him for good? Now all he did was staring at the t-shirt and the way her breasts moved underneath the white material. Beautiful. The bra wasn't helping much with hiding the soft movements and he swallowed drily. So Tanos was right. His sexual attraction was much beyond the normal rate. He hadn't even thought of her blood so far, but his heart pumped with that urged he recognized. He couldn't disregard it. He knew that one step closer and he'd want it, he'd want to taste it as much as he'd want to taste her flesh, kiss and caress her body.

Bella sat down, carefully coordinating her body movements. She even managed a smile.

"So… About the legend." The word itself gave them the shivers. "It's a very interesting and captivating lecture, I might say. But I didn't translate it just yet. I have read it though." She paused to follow his reactions. No reactions. "Would you like to have a feedback on the contents of the story or just wait until the full translation is ready?"

Edward kept still, watching her. His linguistic skills were reduced to mush as all of his senses were now purely guided by his man and vampire instincts and they didn't need any words.

"A feedback would be ok" he pushed the words out with a tense flexing of the facial muscles. Bella saw that jaw hardening underneath the skin and she almost stopped breathing for a second.

"Ok, as you wish. The book as a whole is indeed a treasure. Very old. I'm amazed the writing is so accurate and still so readable. It is strange though that's counting tales of almost 2,000 years ago. It must either be a collection of legends transmitted orally or is the fiction of a medieval writer."

"What do you think?" Edward seemed to have relaxed a bit. Her voice had a soothing effect on him.

"I am not sure. The chapters are interconnected, they seem to follow the same subject so I doubt it's a collection of stories about the same character. And they are very detailed, which tells me that either the writer had a very vivid and rich imagination or was there when the things he talks about happened. But that would be practically impossible." Bella squeezed in a smile. She was so curious to see his reactions, and there were none. "There is a huge time difference in between the facts related and the time when the book was written. So I'm not sure what to make of it."

"I understand. Go on."

Bella wiped her forehead with the back of her hand while tightening her hold on the papers in her lap. It wasn't hot inside yet she felt hot. She dared not look him in the eye although she knew he was looking at her constantly.

"The whole book is about… vampires." The word echoed through the air. She had said it so clearly, so powerfully that it made them both sustain each others sight. And for the first time since she had stepped into the room she saw a flicker in his eyes, a flicker that disappeared just as fast.

"Go on."

"The book tells the story of a late king, a human who had survived the plague, many many years ago. A scientist would call his survival a genetic mutation. Somehow his body captured the essence of the disease and molded on it, shaping it into a cure. A different cure. He became the first immortal. His wife had also survived but merely due to a miracle. She had remained human and soon enough she gave birth to a son. The boy grew and developed almost as any other normal child would until his mid 30s when the aging process started slowing down. His father's genes had kicked in and that's when he realized he was also meant for immortality. His mother's legacy was both physical and emotional. Unlike his father, the first vampire, he had a heart beat, even though he was cold blooded. He could feel emotions, especially emotions that otherwise would be unlikely to be experienced by his kind, such as pity, mercy, care, sorrow, happiness… love." Bella sighed and ran once more the back of her palm on her face. She felt tired, like she was making a confession of something she cared about deeply. And she was making this confession to someone waiting for her to confess as if his life would depend on it.

"Softy."

"I'm sorry?" Bella lifted her regard to see him. That drowning sensation slowly embraced her.

"This vampire. A softy. Vampires are ruthless and cruel. It must be a legend right?" He smiled.

Bella shifted her body weight lying back in the armchair.

"I am not sure. Maybe being a vampire doesn't necessarily mean being mean and selfish."

"I am not sure how you reached that conclusion, but we'll get back to it. Please continue."

"Ok. So he had this half human existence in his immortal life. His father appreciated this as being a feature that could help mankind in fighting crime and setting up order among its leftovers after the plague. He had turned his armies into vampires and let his son lead them into combat. Soon enough, what had begun as a mere army of watch over and protection, transformed into an open war with the vampires that had deserted the right cause for building their own ranks into a more, darker battle. His father was very angry with this ever happening, his intentions have not turned out the way he had planned them. He looked to his son for a solution. He was his reason to go on, now that he was alone." Bella looked Edward in the eye and lowered her voice in respect to what he was about to say. "His wife had died years after his son was born."

Edward's breathing stumbled imperceptibly. She could only see it from the agitated nostrils.

"What was the son's name?" his voice came down serious and inflexible.

"Edward." Her eyes almost implored that he betrayed his secret, that he told her the truth. But his face had turned back into stone and whatever emotions lay there, were well hidden. Maybe this was also a sign.

"His name was Edward. And he is considered to be the oldest and most respected of all vampires."

"He is?" Edward smiled.

"The legend seems to leave an open ending, so I assume there must be a chapter missing." Bella smiled at her turn eased by his change of attitude.

"I like that idea." Their eyes met and Bella could only confirm his wish.

"Go on. What did his father do next?" He was mocking at her a little bit, like he already knew what the legend was about, but simply wanted to hear it from her.

"His father laid the path for him. His fight was restless and he gave Edward all the support a father can give. Still, sometime hundred of years after Edward had taken over the family business of protecting mankind, his father perished unexpectedly."

"It wasn't unexpectedly."

"I'm sorry?"

"Just thinking out loud. Don't mind me, please" Edward waved at her encouraging to continue. But Bella was sure he said something and she heard it clearly.

"He was drained during one battle while he was trying to defend Edward who was also much weakened." She heard him take a deep breath. "After his father's death Edward continued his battle but decided to change the strategy and so the war was hidden away from the world. Everything was done without humans ever knowing they were in danger. Anything written that made it through history became legend, a myth. Vampires were but a shadow of people's imagination, they did not exist at all. Meanwhile in the dungeons the fights went on. Killings cleaned up afterwards, no witnesses ever, no survivors, no casualties." Bella took a break.

"So he lay hidden."

"Maybe not. Maybe he lived a double life and infiltrated with the humans."

"You have a strong imagination Bella." The second time when he had spoken her name and it made her heart startle.

"I read a lot" she excused herself, not trying to push the conversation just yet. He smiled.

"Keep reading. That's what brought you here with me."

"With me…" she carved the words in her memory, the way they sounded and what they could mean.

"So… this is it." She sighed like she was relieved from a heavy burden.

"I thought we were just getting to the main point right about now." He provoked her.

"Yes, the legend. This is really not the most interesting part of the lecture."

"And why not?"

"Because it's unfeasible."

"Unfeasible?" he almost laughed. "That sounds like reading from a science manual! How come?"

"Vampires and humans don't mingle!"

"And this is another fact that you know for sure?"

"This is what the book says."

"Does it?"

"Yes, no other vampire had ever had a human consort ever since the late king."

"But it doesn't say that they can't either, true?"

"True." Bella changed position in the seat again. "But they would get killed. The humans."

"Ruthless and selfish" he underlined his words earlier in the conversation.

"No… it's not like that. There are good intentions but their thirst is beyond their control."

"Maybe you're a vampire yourself."

Bella startled stirred at the idea.

"Am not!"

"Do you find that appalling? The idea of being a vampire?"

"Vampires do not exist, that's all!"

"You didn't answer my question. Would you hate being one?"

Bella calculated her answer.

"I don't know…"

"Come on, I know you can do better than that! You believe they exist, would you like to be one of them?" Edward came forward in the armchair resting his elbows on the knees to be able to look her in the eye closer.

"I would, if I weren't to be alone forever." That's when her eyes betrayed her wish.

"Immortality means loneliness no matter how you look at it. You get to see all your loved ones die; you get to lose everything you love, over and over again until love inside you is also dead."

"Is that what you think happened to Edward? The love inside him died?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Because of the unfinished chapter in the legend… Maybe there is still a chance for love to fill his heart again."

"At what cost?"

"Very high." The fire flamed among the burning ashes, creeping into the silence hovering in the room.

"Then why spend the effort?"

"Because I believe an effort spent to ensure your future wouldn't be spent in vain. I mean, Edward looked after the world's survival and disregarded his own for almost 2 millenniums. It is but fair for him to also look after his life for a while accepting everything that comes with it. No pain no game right?" she tried to smile, but she felt like a rabbit, her heart racing to 150 beats per minute most likely.

"No pain no game… Is that what the legend is about? The pain to win the game?"

"Pretty much. It's a one in a life time kind of game though"

"And how can you be sure that the legend doesn't end here, just the way it is?"

"Because reality is what you make of the facts related in the legend. And the legend gives Edward the chance to make it happen, one way or another. It's in his power to decide how it's going to end, the legend doesn't push him in the right direction. It gives a perspective into two different versions of an ending and the outcome might surprise even the writer" now she did manage to smile openly.

Edward watched her. Her words reminded him of Tanos. She had gotten very enthusiastic over the subject all of a sudden.

"There are no two versions of the ending. There is only one. She gets to be with him, he kills her. She is not with him, she dies anyways. One version. But let's not drop to conclusions just yet. You still didn't tell me what the legend is really about."

Bella saw her chance to provoke him.

"And still you speak like you already know what is about."

Edward smiled his heart-stopping smile. He had beautiful white teeth, shinny, and porcelain like. She remembered their touch on her lips. The fangs. She was losing it again. It wasn't him!

"I have heard a great deal about the legend. There are many versions of it. That's why I looked for the original so I can find out once and for all what it is about." So he escaped the answer to her question. Bella was unhappy with the outcome to her little trap.

"Well, I don't know about the other versions, but this one tells about Edward falling in love with a human. And this is where it gets complicated. He is … how do I put this. He is…" She tried to look for the right words so that the explanation sounded correct.

"He is her lover and murderer at the same time" he finished the phrase for her. Bella looked at him with understanding eyes.

"I wouldn't put it so cruel. I don't think he means to harm her. I think he is cursed."

"Oh, so now you also believe in magic?" his eyes radiated. He was pleased to see her looking for a solution to save Edward's love life.

"No, but, how do I explain this. There are some things that we cannot explain in life. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's luck or God, I don't know, I don't hold the answers to the world's mysteries. But I know that things happen that we cannot control, we can only work on the outcome and hope for the best. So, you live understanding that part of your destiny is uncontrollable, while the other part is a gift to us to do with it as we please. That's where we exercise that free will and power of decision and take the real control over what's happening to us. I think with Edward, as odd as it may seem, being cursed to live alone forever is part of his gift of being immortal. It's one unfortunate case of having it all and then again not really having anything. There is nothing he can do about this, it's uncontrollable, he was born with it and he had learnt how to mold this immortality into his benefit and that of mankind. But this woman in his life is where he can take control and make his life take a turn for the better."

"How can he, if he can't control himself around her?"

"He will find the strength. Love conquers it all!"

"Romantic cliché!" his irony upset her.

"It does! As long as you believe it."

"And what is that he should believe, the legend or her?"

"Her obviously."

"But she is weak. She is hypnotized by him anyways, because of his predator nature. How can she distinguish between real love and his victimizing call to her?"

"Maybe she can't, but he can. That's why it all rests with him. He is the one with the clear mind, he is the one that should find and guide her into believing, understanding and accepting what's happening."

"What if he decides not to?"

"Then he will have chosen that future for himself. To be lonely."

It was Edward's turn to change position in the armchair.

"So they are together and then she dies of old age. Then what? More sorrow? More solitude?"

"Turn her."

"Turning is simple; living the life afterwards is not."

"But you would be together and that should make it simpler."

Edward paused.

"She wouldn't survive the story."

"You are very convinced of this."

"Just as you are very convinced that a vampire could control his powers to be with a human, when you don't truly understand the magnitude of those powers"

"Like what? Jumping from heights, climbing tree tops and sky scrapers, throwing heavy weights around like they were wood scraps, taking bullets out of the flesh with just one tensing of the muscles? Oh, yes I can imagine those powers."

"But can you imagine the thirst?" Edward's eyes flamed and for a moment he turned his sight from her fearing it might turn blue.

"No, I can't."

"Than you shouldn't ask that from a vampire." Bella looked at him. "But you did it last night, with me" she wanted to yell it into his face. "Don't tell me not to ask what I have witnessed happening!"

"Edward we are discussing a legend. A legend where it is said that the new king was in complete self-control of his thirst and powers, setting an example to others!"

"A legend that also says he will have a hard time handling the same very powers when around this woman."

"Why are you so stubborn into admitting that this could actually happen?"

"Because it cannot and she will eventually be killed. If not by him, by others." Now he had said too much but it was too late.

"What others?" Bella did not hesitate to keep him under her eager for information sight.

"Vampires" he added slowly.

"Other vampires? The legend only refers to him, to Edward, not to other vampires having anything to do with this. Why would you say that?"

"Because it's normal for his rivals to try to harm everything dear to him, you said it yourself…"

Bella wasn't happy with the answer, he escaped her again.

"True." Bella's stomach made a very funny sound. She put her arms around the waist trying to stop it. At no avail. Edward smiled.

"I am sorry I kept you locked up in here for so long!"

"What time is it?" Because of the darkness in the room she couldn't figure out anymore what was happening around her.

"Almost 2."

"2?" Almost 3 hours and a half. How did he do this? No wonder she was hungry.

"Please, be my guest for lunch"

Edward watched her carefully to be able to read her shock. And indeed it was there, gargoyle untrusting eyes. He felt bad to ruin her hopes like that.

"Even vampires have to eat every now and then!" he twitched his right eye making fun of her stunt face.

"So… so I'm lunch?"

He couldn't take it anymore and he started laughing from the heart, so powerfully that it made her wonder. He got up from the armchair and stretched his hand to her.

"You've been reading too much from that book. Come."

Bella looked at his hand then again at him and finally placed hers into his wide open palm. His touch was as cold as she remembered it.

"Your hands are very cold"

"It's cooler in here. Plus a hereditary low blood pressure" A quick smile then his face became serious again. If he knew he'd betray himself by touching her why did he allow this? Bella didn't question her mind anymore, they're approach was turning her numb again. They were sitting inches away, face to face, with him so much taller than her, outrunning her by far. There was a long moment of silence when none of them could take their eyes of each other.

"We will have lunch in the dinning room, downstairs. Follow me."

He let go of her hand and started walking ahead of her. Bella hurried to get her stuff and follow him.

"Leave it. I'd like us to discuss some more. You haven't finished that legend" His smile was so charming. Bella dropped it all back in the armchair and ran out of the door.

The table was set in the living room and Bella found it so much more comfortable to continue the conversation in the afternoon light. They sat right across from each other eating in silence. The meal was exquisite and light. She watched him carefully. The table was rather long and she couldn't really see what was in his plate or smell the wine in his glass. But he was eating something that looked like meat. At times she was so absorbed into keeping a vigilant eye on his plate that she forgot to eat out of hers and Falken smiled a couple of times from the door way watching the scene.

"Is there something you want to ask me?" he let the fork rest on the side of the dish looking her straight in the eye. Bella was caught by surprise. She babbled.

"Uh, not really… If there is anything else you'd like to ask me about the book…"

Edward smiled. "Do you believe vampires exist?"

Bella stopped for a moment and she had the impression that he could see through her right away, how her heart was losing count if its beatings, how her lungs were burning with insufficient air inside.

"I believe we've been through this before. We're just going round the tail." She mingled more sauce with the potatoes.

"Yes. I guess we are. Make a summary for me would you? About this Edward character and his soul mate."

"I thought you didn't believe her being his soul mate."

"Did I ever say that?"

"No, but you acted as such!"

Edward smiled again displaying the grin of someone who was caught in the act.

"Ok then smart pants, make me believe, make me believe they're meant for each other"

"I don't have to make you believe; if you were in their shoes you'd believe it without any further explanations or questions asked."

"And how would he know that she's the one. The book doesn't give him any hints."

"Listen, neither does God when you're born. He doesn't lay down a resume for you to follow through out your life and He won't take your hand every time you cross the street to make sure you get safe on the other side. Same with love. Love is a matter of heart more than of judgment. Use your head more and you'll only make calculations of how much and how little you should feel, give and participate into that relationship. Love with your heart and you'll feel how smooth or rough things go. It will tell you the truth your mind doesn't want to admit."

"And what truth is that?"

"That you're in love and there's not one damn thing your mind can do about it! That's the beauty of it!"

Edward was out of questions just by looking at her, so radiant and so sure of herself.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"I thought I was… it's easy to mix infatuation with love, especially when you only look at how lonely your life is."

"Is that what you did?"

"I guess so, otherwise I'd be married with kids by now" she smiled but a flicker of sadness darkened her sight.

"It's never too late…"

"No it's not." The conversation went dead but Edward felt she wanted to say something more. She didn't.

"Have you?" Edward's dazzled look made her finish the question. "… been in love?"

"Once… a long time ago, so long ago that I almost forgot about it"

"If it was love then you couldn't have forgotten."

They looked at each other and that magic connection between them was renewed.

"Maybe you're right. But I haven't been much into serious relationships. I think girls find me rather… cold"

Bella laughed.

"I find you rather charming … and cold. You should try sunbathing sometime; it might make the difference for your next relationship!

It was Edward's turn to laugh out loud.

"So you're saying you wouldn't want me as I am, pale and cold?"

"Personally I don't mind you being pale and cold, but there are few like me"

"Well, than I'd better stick with you because this is not gonna get a tan any time soon!" Edward went on laughing make an artistic gesture as to his body.

Bella joined his laughter. She wasn't even hungry anymore.

"So this means you want the translation done anyway?"

"Yes, please. It does make an interesting reading."

"Why do you want it translated so badly? Is it because of the name?"

Edward smiled and it was that kind of smile that reminded her of his fragrance when holding her.

"Somewhat. Let's say I've always been into the occult dark stories."

"Being fascinated with the occult is not a sin, but it is different, as long as you make a clear difference in between fantasy and reality."

"No, I am not obsessed with it" Edward giggled. "I'm just interested in the idea."

"It's very appealing isn't it? To think that someone like that could exist!"

"A vampire?"

"Not necessarily; someone so powerful, so unusual, so damned.

Edward shivered hearing the word.

"Why damned? They are powerful, can live forever and have little to worry about."

"It must be hard, leaving so many things behind, so many people."

"Vampires would keep to vampires, no loss there."

"I don't think they would, not always. It's in the human nature to be curious about what's different."

"But vampires don't have a human nature anymore."

"Why do you insist on them not being good hearted? Just because they are dark… whatever, creatures? Humans can be murderess, rapists, haters; does the fact that they are humans make any difference? No! Humans would be turned into vampires but their nature would stay the same. If you were a good human you'd probably be a good vampire as well."

"Then how would a good vampire live by feeding on people? Or do you really believe that once they discover there is no limit to their powers, they would satisfy their appetite with rats and chickens?"

"I'm sure there is a way. Especially today, with all the modern tools and genetics, they can probably create blood by now."

"You do have a wild imagination!"

"Don't you think this could be true? Come on!"

"It might." Edward laid back in his chair admitting to her demand.

"So… vampires can still like hang out with humans, protect them and caring for them."

"Caring is one, protecting also… but loving is another thing. It is a lot to ask from a vampire."

"Yes, it's a bit more complicated. But as I said, if it happens, it happens and the powers of a vampire won't be able to stop it."

"Yes they could. They could kill the source."

"Oh, for crying out loud, you are so bad!"

Edward burst into laughter. It had been a long while since he'd really felt like laughing from the heart.

"Fine, fine! Let's say this might actually be true. You believe that a feeling, love, could make all the obstacles disappear, even the obvious physical impossibility of being together?"

"Why is it so impossible? Because of the thirst? You're a fan of the occult right? Haven't you ever stumbled, anywhere in your research, over something romantic between a vampire and a human?"

"Of course. It's called fiction." He laughed again. Bella nodded unsatisfied.

"Are you a vampire?" Her question took him by complete surprise. But he managed to keep the smile going.

"If I were, then I'd propose you an arrangement so we can prove both our theories as to the relationship between vampires and humans."

"Like what?"

"Like you and I conducting a little experiment and see whether vampires can make love to humans…"

Bella was shocked with the proposal and behind his smile she could read something more. Edward figured that his words might shock her but her complete dismay was beyond his expectations. So was the fact that he actually meant it. Bella kept quiet for a little to slowly fall back in the chair. A quick gasp of air reached his fine hearing.

"That wouldn't be love making …" her voice was so low and so weakened that a human standing where he was standing wouldn't have heard it.

"I could love someone like you… if I were a vampire. And then it would be love making." Edward felt like punching himself right in the face for being so plainly stupid. Bella was now again confused and running wild with her thoughts of him being a vampire. Exactly what he did not want her to believe.

"You are more into the dark culture than I believed. Come on, I was just kidding. I am not a vampire even though I look like one. Don't you think that if I were, you would be dead by now?"

"I'm the one believing in good vampires, remember? Maybe you're one of them." her voice was still as dim as before. She got up from the chair. "I should go now. Thanks for, uh, everything. I'll have someone handle the translation and if nothing goes unexpected you should have it by beginning of next week."

"Why don't you do it?"

"I got a call from a client outside the city and I have to travel for a few days. If you don't trust my team then you'll have to wait for me to get back. That will take more than a week."

"I'll wait." He went back being cold and implacable. "Where are you going?"

The question came unexpected. Bella smiled thinking the unspoken answer.

"Near Brasov, somewhere close to Dracula's Castle. So I won't be far."

Edward couldn't help smiling at his turn.

"I'll keep an eye out for you."

"You do that."

Another moment of silence slipped in between them. She turned around and left the room going upstairs to pick up her stuff. As she returned he was still seated at the table. They looked at each other and Bella felt sick with saying good bye. She left the house without even thanking Falken for his hospitality as she usually did. Edward remained tapping on the wooden table with a blank vision.

"Falken! Make sure you have someone watching her."

"Ok." Edward knew Falken had questions for him but he was grateful he didn't ask them. The late-afternoon light crept in folding shadows on the table as he kept tapping on the shinny surface.

CHAPTER 7

The alarm went off louder than the usual, or at least that's how it sounded in Bella's head, already aching from the night before. She tried to reach the clock and shut it. She managed to kick it off the bed table but the alarm continued screaming. She got out from underneath the covers and made it stop. Her eyes couldn't still open fully and the deem shadow of an early dawn didn't help much. 5AM. Jesus Christ! She rolled on her back, trying to take advantage of the last few minutes of coziness and warmth. Thank God she packed the evening before and now all she had to do was get her face washed, teeth brushed and hopefully some matching clothes. Whenever she felt unease about something she had a bad time picking what to wear. She glimpsed at the braking dawn once more. How she wished she enjoyed the new day from inside his arms. She sighed and threw the covers off, completely unhappy with her current situation.

Two hours later she was cursing madly at the traffic makers on Iuliu Maniu Boulevard. How some people made it so much more difficult for mankind to evolve just because they were simply too caught up in their own stupidity! She was so proud of herself for having left very early. Two hours had passed and she still wasn't out of this God forsaken city! Time flew by fast as she tried to keep up with the long road, listening to music and singing as loud as she could. She was a good driver but still very cautious. Music always helped when driving, even though when she first drove a car she felt that even a fly buzzing by was blowing her focus off track. She grinned remembering the panic stricken student behind the wheel years before. The views from up the hills made her slow down and take a moment to admire it and take in a deep breath of clean air and silence. A few hours later she was reaching Moeciu, a small mountain area where she had discovered a hotel complex, with very decent accommodation and everything she needed to combine work and pleasure for a few days. Her meeting place wasn't far from her secret hideaway, that's why she preferred going there every time she had a chance.

She got the same room as usual, in the attic. Small and cozy, up above the tree line, where she was not bothered by the few noises coming from the dinning area close to the villa. She had less than an hour to change and get ready for her meeting. She unpacked the things she needed, grabbed a coffee and slid behind the wheel again. She loved driving but sometimes she wished she didn't have to drive that much. She turned around going back towards Bran, always monitoring the watch making sure she's on time. She was supposed to meet her clients in one of the villas around old Dracula's Castle. She had never been around the area too much and finding the place proved to be more difficult than she thought, especially with all the tourists hanging around and parking like they owned the place. The house was old but renovated and the yard, even though not in the best shape, made quite a site when observing it up close. The door bell rang and Mr. Anghelache opened the door almost immediately. Mr. Anghelache had been a client of hers even before she opened the office. She knew him well, tying a good friendship with the old man over the years. A tall, good morals and bright gentleman, always wearing old fashioned aristocratic clothes, his white hair combed backwards, tinny glasses on the small thin nose. It was always funny for Bella to see him like that. You'd say a chariot was waiting for him outside her office, that's how much of an epochal imprint he had on his way of being. He held his black bastinado with a metal lion head at one end close to his chest, just as she knew he would. What he did not do was bow slightly to her as he used to and his face was paler than usual. And sweaty; his glasses were almost falling off the bony nose as he tried to welcome her in the house. He had rarely seen him this agitated. His voice when greeting her was almost pleading. Bella wanted to ask him what was wrong but before she spoke a man showed up in the door step of what seemed to be the living room.

Bella felt her heart skip a beat. The same sensation she got when being close to Edward, only that this time it wasn't pleasant, but threatening. The man staring at her from the door way was just as pale, with dark eyes, long hair, falling down his long leather coat. His hands were almost clenched in a fist and he seemed very anxious and unease. His eyes matched the grin on his face, piercing through her, with an unnatural want and hunger. Bella took a step backwards involuntarily. Mr. Anghelache sighed, eyes on the wooden floor.

"Mrs. Swan, nice to finally meet you." The man came closer and put his big hand on her tinny shoulder. Its coldness sank into the thin material and made her shiver recognizing that unique touch. Meeting other vampires other than Falken and Edward seemed dangerous to her. What happened with her good vampires belief? And what happened to her sanity? Now she was seeing vampires everywhere, even in her clients! Bella tried to chase the creepy feeling away by reasoning things out… and failing! That unconscious fear was deeply routed and it was so convincing to her mind that she couldn't deny it.

She followed the man in the room with Mr. Anghelache behind her. Inside there were two more men, dressed exactly the same way, long leather coats. There was also a woman, dressed in normal clothes, very sexy and provocative and in strong colors. They made a very wired bunch. They did have one thing in common though. They all looked very pale, dark, poisonous eyes, strong bodies, very muscular and fiber like made. The men had all their fists clenched, like ready for a fight. The woman alone sat in a chair in front of the book shelves, tapping slowly on the wooden framework of the chair. She wore long nails painted in a shinny blue. Bella breathed in and out before deciding to step inside. She sat down on the nearest chair disobeying her own rule of politely greeting her clients. One cold hand was enough for her. Mr. Anghelache had remained in the door step, keeping his distance from everyone.

"I hope you are not too tired from your journey. I am aware of the heavy traffic." The tall man who had welcomed her spoke politely, but his voice sounded cunning. Bella nodded not losing sight of him.

"Yes, it's been a busy morning to put this way. How may I help you? Mr. Anghelache?"

But Mr. Anghelache only managed to squeeze a frozen smile gesturing towards the man. Bella blinked a few times trying to figure the message his tensioned face was sending.

"Actually Mr. Anghelache asked you to come at our personal request," The word "personal" sounded more like a threat to her.

"I understand. I am glad to assist Mr. Anghelache's friends. He is one of my most appreciated clients." Bella smiled looking at the old man. His eyes glittered for a second to then darken with the sweat coming down his eyebrows. Bella frowned. "But, just out of curiosity, was there no other translator in the area that could probably help much faster than I can, traveling all this way?" In other conditions that would have seemed a very badly placed question to a perspective client, but these were no perspective clients, that was sure.

"Actually, you alone can do the job we need. A very important job."

"Very important indeed…" repeated like a misleading echo the girl sitting in the chair. Her voice sounded vulgar and mocking. Bella watched her for a moment, probably using one of her less welcoming regards.

"I see. And what is it about?" She didn't have the patience to be there anymore. Somehow she just wanted to grab Mr. Anghelache and get both of them out of that place. But something prevented her from doing it. "An old document?" the words simply came out of her mouth for no apparent reason. The man smiled maliciously.

"Oh, but we don't waist our time with lecturing… like others." Bella startled. Did they know? "We like our lectures lived outside the book."

"And what lecture might that be?"

"One where you are playing the main role." She saw the same sudden but fugitive flicker in his eyes as she had seen in Edward. He moved towards her and she straightened her body position in the chair taking a more offensive position. Somehow she knew he knew that she knew. God, what was wrong with her life? She's been up and down with indecision but one thing she knew for sure that it wasn't all in her head. Or at least what was in her head was the truth. So why not bringing it out in the open; but would that put her in danger or make a fool out of her?

"The Legend?" She watched how all of their faces remained motionless to her words. Only their eyes were communicating and what she felt to be a strange welcoming quickly became a reason for real worry.

"The Legend… you have read it recently. A book…" the man continued strolling through the room. "A fascinating book, I have to say. We are friends of Edward you see, that's how we know. His quest for that book is well known, to all of us, his friends."

It was so God damn obvious they were anything but his friends, still they were making real efforts into underlying the lie. But they did know so they must've learnt it from somewhere close to Edward. She had only met Falken at the mansion. Who else could've been? Regardless, she knew she had to keep her mouth shut and protect him. Protect what? Her brain was starting the same argument again. Instinct against reality. Reality can be deceiving screamed her guts. And so can be your instinct if it's well fed with that crazy lecture you're always talking about! Your instinct is your wish, your wish is not necessarily reality! Necessarily, now that's well said! It can be exactly what it is, reality, and then these guys are just as vampires as Edward! She guessed the formation in the room must've seen her struggle to give the right answer to their intentions. So she tried to calm down and reason a good line.

"I see. Edward never mentioned you, but then again I haven't been around him that much. You wish for the same book to be translated?"

"Actually we were thinking more of you telling us a few words about what it says. Starting with page 127, to be more exact." Bella twitched.

"Well, I am sure you are aware of the story. I haven't come up with anything new."

"True. It may be easier if we just asked a few questions that really interest us." The man sat next to her and she felt like facing him as to have her back reassured and safe. A back stabber, she thought quickly!

"I guess that would be faster." She nodded.

"A woman is mentioned. A very special woman. Is there any mentioning about her powers?"

"She's got no powers, she's human."

"Not the kind of powers a vampire would have. But powers that could affect him. Edward."

"She can only affect him in a positive way."

"Like?"

"Like she can be his moral support and the reason for him to go on existing."

"That's a very strong power."

"Only if he believes in it."

"Interesting… very interesting. Are there chances that he does not believe in her?"

"It's all up to him. The book can't tell and neither can I."

"I understand. What else is mentioned related to her?"

"She can… cure him." She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing to tell those people.

"Physically?" the man appeared more eager than before to find this element out.

"Yes. If given to him, her blood can heal his wounds. I am not sure what kind of wounds, how many or how deep, but the legend says she can do that." Bella watched him straight in the eye, almost telling him that she was going to give Edward everything he needs to survive and kick their asses if needed. Of course, that wouldn't be true as they were not living the legend. Her mind was running wild again and she tried grabbing hold of the reality in front of her.

"Oh, but she can do miracles on him, trust me."

"How come?" It was her turn to show some interest.

"This woman is carrying a very special gene that will ensure his survival, no matter how deep or how big the wounds inflicted on him." The man waited for her reaction.

"What sort of gene? Like a… virus?"

"More like a DNA strain. Like STEM cells."

"STEM cells can cure their own initial carrier not someone else. And DNA is unique to each person; it can't be used to cure someone, only to identify them."

"Actually STEM cells have been proven to work also on the close keen of the initial carrier." He smiled satisfied with his own words. "But this is not how this blood sequence really works. The woman is carrying a dormant DNA sequence from the initial carrier, the first immortal. Edward's father."

"But…wait! How come? That's thousand of years ago! And second, if Edward's father ever bit someone they were turned into vampires and she's still human, very mortal actually. So how did she carry the gene all this way without being affected?"

"The first man the king turned was his second in command, a man who had shown a very peculiar feature. He had barely survived the plague; he was neither human nor vampire, but a half breed; strong enough to survive the disease but not that strong to live an immortal life. His body acted like a host for the vampire virus, accepting it, encapsulating it in its purest form, without ever triggering it. The virus on the other hand provided extra strength and immunity, maybe even slowed down the aging process, but without being fully triggered it kept him human, just a more powerful one. This man was able to form a family and later on have children - something vampires cannot do - before Edward's father decided to turn him and trigger the virus permanently. His children and then his children's children inherited his ability of stocking the vampire virus within their blood, following the same blood line century after century. In time their strength weakened due to the environment they lived in and the virus no longer provided them with unnatural long life or strength. The vampire virus within this woman's blood is like a missing link in Edward's DNA, so once mixed it cannot only cure him but it can give him powers he doesn't know he has. And we, dear Mrs. Swan, have tracked down this miraculous blood line since ancient times and up to now… and it led us straight to you."

Bella remained completely mute, eyes wide opened, hands numb on her lap. Her lower jaw trembled at the same rate her heart was beating. She looked at this strange man in front of her but her sight was running past him. She couldn't really perceive the meaning of his words. Then her eyes slowly rolled onto his face again.

"Do you now understand?" his face was serious, yet somehow victorious as he spelled each word.

Bella's lips parted but no word came out.

"Do you now understand how important you are to him and … us?"

Bella managed to slip a few mumbles in between the frozen lips.

"If she can only cure him why would she be of any use to you?"

"Because her blood, with a bit of genetic modifications can help us all, become …better. And then again, if he tastes … you, we risk of never winning the war."

"A war you brought upon him by disobeying the rules."

"Rules made by him and his wretched father!" The vampire stood up abruptly throwing aside his long leather coat. She had no doubt now that they were all vampires. " I never wanted to abide by them, we were forced into it!"

"Cause it's so much better being a scum than a Good Samaritan isn't it?"

"Absolutely correct!" his voiced hissed in her ear. His body movements started to look like Falken's, fast and unobserved. "We are the top of the food chain and humans have to accept it."

"You were human once, would you have accepted it?"

"I haven't been human in centuries and I don't regret it. And then again, this is nature's way of putting order into things."

"Nature's or yours?"

"Enough! We know now what we have to do. Get Lucian" He turned and glimpsed at the funny looking girl. She disappeared in an instant.

"What if you are wrong? What if I am not the one?" Bella abruptly got of her chair almost screaming. She was furious with herself for not having believed her instincts, for not having plaid this right and gotten the truth out of Edward in time. Things would probably be different now and she wouldn't put him in danger by letting these bastards get to her.

The vampire looked at her and smiled.

"Well we will find that out soon enough. But until then, to just satisfy your curiosity. Have you ever wondered why you are so passionate with the dark lectures, with vampires, why you always have your thoughts and dreams and wishes running wild in the vampire realm? Why you always feel like there is something missing in your life, even when you seem to have everything? How come that even when you have the best of men next to you, you're still looking…for perfection? He, alone, can give you what you are yearning for. Perfection" he growled at her.

"So then you too admit that _he_ _alone_ _is_ _perfect_! Out of you all! And you fuckers will be ashes by morning!" She was yelling beyond her imagination and she had no idea where she got the guts to do it. She was enraged with having waited for 27 years to find the truth about the misery in her life, about why she had always felt lonely and unsatisfied with things around her, how she never found her place at no ones' side. It now felt normal to want to give her very life to Edward because he was what she had been looking for. He was in her blood for all this time and his blood was calling her and she didn't even have a clue what was going on. But he did! Did he?

She couldn't focus anymore; So much information all too sudden for her to chew on. She let her arms fall numb along her body; tears darkened her sight and she felt pain within. She fell back into her chair, losing interest in asking questions or finding out more of this strange situation she was in. Mr. Anghelache hurried at her side and took her by the hand.

"It's going to be alright child. I am so sorry I got you into this mess. I was a coward. They didn't give me much choice." The old man looked her in the eye with a very terrified look, and yet with much regret as well. Bella managed to smile mildly and padded him on the hand holding hers.

"It's ok Mr. Anghelache. You did the right thing, they could've… hurt you." She looked for the right word to not make her senior client worry even more. "Don't worry. Everything's gonna be ok." She sighed and wondered whether she had been convincing enough.

Moments later the woman came back into the room and talked to the second man who had been waiting patiently keeping a vigilant eye on Bella. Then he made his way towards her and grabbed her by the elbow. Bella's first reaction was to fight back abruptly but realizing how strongly Mr. Anghelache was holding her hand still, she thought she might jeopardize the old man's life if she tried resisting.

"Come with me… please." That "please" didn't bring any comfort as she stood up following him, being almost dragged out of the room.

He pushed her down the stairs of the old mansion and before she knew it she found herself crossing a dark corridor that seemed endless and her eyes didn't keep up the pace with getting used to so much darkness. A door opened and she was invited to step inside. It looked like one of those rooms designed especially for the mental hospitals, where the most severe cases where locked away in sound proof rooms, furbished with protection layers on all four walls to prevent them from harming themselves by thrusting head first into the cement construction. The heavy metal door was bolted behind her making a terrible sound. She was now alone, staring at the blankness around her; her mind as blank as the walls around her.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 8

_**The door slammed shut**_ and she was left alone again. Thoughts ran wild behind the closed eyelids. She curled her fingers deep in the sticky strands of dark hair. What do I do, what do I do? What is it that I say? What is true and what is fiction? What, what what? She felt screaming inside her head, it was like there was no air left in her lungs, she felt so suffocated with being powerless to change the situation. She kept rocking back and forth embracing her knees as she folded more into a fetal position. She stared at the blank wall and her eyes and pupils became still with fear of the unknown. For hours. Or was it minutes? Time was endless in between those walls and at some point her muscles gave up and she could no longer rock, nor bounce, nor stare. She fell on one side, still crouched, keeping her heart inside the circle of her arms. Keep it safe and keep it beating.

_**The door slammed open **_and she felt carried away. She was floating and she heard voices beyond her like cloudy whispers in the afternoon wind. Then it all went black. And cold and shivery. She opened her eyes and colors were still foggy. A white light was coming from right in front of her. She felt her legs numb from knee down yet her shoulders felt stretched to a maximum and a deep pain cut through her lower spine. Her head was falling forward and she couldn't keep it straight. It was so heavy and with each move it became dizzier and more painful. And it was so cold. The voices were still there, around her, whispering. A cold hand here and there would touch, caress or push her. She would balance in mid air. In a moment of lucidity she figured she was somehow suspended to a ceiling, her hands tight above her head, her legs dangling aimlessly. Then the silhouette approached her. As it got closer she saw that it was the man she saw before in the room upstairs. The one with the long hair. He grinned; his eyes sparkled in the chalky light. The same light blue she had seen in Edward. Only not as beautiful. Not as strong. But with a more evil look to it. He leaned towards her, his cold lips matching the cold sweat coming down her temples.

"No need to fear… we will be quick about it! A drop of blood… well not just one drop…" the chuckle behind him stopped him from continuing. "Let's see… relax… that's right, let this beautiful neck into my care…" his palm covered the chin and half way up her cheeks as he slowly turned her head right to left trying to expose her neck better. She was unable to resist; images were blur and sounds were masked by her own heart beatings. Beatings. Her heart was still pumping and it was louder than ever. The pain bladed through her back muscles as her head fell backwards. Her eyes caught a glimpse of another pair of blue eyes lingering next to her carotid. She could've sworn she heard a moan of frustration behind her. Then a fierce steep pain went through her neck muscles as a syringe needle plunged into her flesh. Bella screamed, yet it was louder in her mind than what came out through her lips. It sounded more like a squeaking terrified mouse. The thick red liquid filled up the glass container inch by inch. People in the room had stopped breathing. Bella felt like she was the only one doing any noise in there with her sobbing and gasping. The man looked at the syringe and caressed it like it was the most precious crystal.

"Finally!"

"What if this one turns out negative too?" The strong feminine voice blew the charms away.

"For centuries I've let you try and for centuries you have failed to bring me the pure born. As I said, you want something done well, you gotta do it yourself! Edward wouldn't have allowed a human to linger around him so closely if she didn't mean something to him! Alexander!"

The man with the long hair gave the syringe to another who quickly disappeared behind some long dirty curtains. A few moments later he stuck his head out calling for the others in. Bella tilted her head for just a bit trying to relieve some of the tension in her hurting neck. But another sting, burning more than the needle ran down her back. She bounced in the chains screaming. For a moment she believed she was left alone after they had all gone behind the curtains. But she was wrong. The strange looking girl that accompanied the men when she first came was now playing with her.

_**The door slammed shut**_ behind the curtains and the silence took over. Not even her heart was making any noise. Not anymore. The only hissing sound was that of the chains bouncing slowly next to her lifeless limbs. She felt her eyelids heavier and heavier. Her neck was in pain just like the entire back of her head. If someone had speared her that time she wouldn't have probably felt the pain, that's how numb she felt. Then the cold hand pushed her face up, putting pressure on her lower jaw. A little light crept in between the swollen eyelids as she felt her cervical toss under the pressure of being lifted up. She tried to open the eyes a bit more but other than that bashful stream of light she couldn't get anything else. The hold was so strong that she felt the urge to fight it back but other than the courageous thoughts inside her skull, there was no visible sign of any force anywhere in her muscles.

"I will never understand how come your blood alone makes you the chosen one. I've tasted better than you!" the voice rained a cold shower on her feeble resistance. The breathing in her ear became heavier, nastier and angrier. "There's gotta be something that differentiates you from the rest… from the rest of yours and mine…" She felt a little puncture in the cheek and then nothing. She was wondering whether it was sweat or blood what she felt gliding down her skin. "Let's see… maybe you've got some special endurance or fighting techniques"

The hand let go and her chin fell down to her chest again. The few bones in her body that still reacted to pain twitched. And then that silence again. Or maybe there was something else. She felt it behind her but she couldn't tell. And then it was in front of her. Moving fast. A swish in the air and her head got brutally pushed into her forearm as she lay hanged from the ceiling. Her left cheek was fiery red, burning and itching with pain. She thought she couldn't open her eyes anymore but she surely could cry. A second later and her head flew in the opposite direction hitting her left hand. Whoever was doing this definitely had a heavy hand and slapped her with a vengeance. She knew now what was gliding down her cheeks. Hot tears forming a knot right under her chin. Then another blow from somewhere above her, striking her right side. She felt like her eyeball exploded in the eye socket. The bashful light turned into red and dark blue stripes of pain, the sound of the fist against her temple sounded like thunder striking her neurons again and again. The chains moved forcefully balancing her body weight from one side to another. Her ankles chained and turned around each other as she danged uncontrollably with bare soles on the wet cold pavement.

The vampire watched her body movements with such hunger on her stone like face. The chalky moon light creeping in through the basement window made the pores to Bella's skin shine palely. The image looked like a black and white picture where in a beam of light Bella's body slowly paced back and forth in the white light, her contours refined as she lay naked in the blackness of the room. The hand stood up and trounced the leather stripes in the cold night air. The whiplash fell to the ground sounding like snakes crawling on the cement. Then again the hand startled in the air before launching forward. The whip reached for her warm skin and trashed it into shreds as Bella screamed like a wounded grim owl. The red marks started dripping with bright red blood and before her back straightened it arched again with immense aching as blow after blow the whip swished on her skin again and again. Before long a fan of cuts and bruises were carved in the light pale skin.

Her punisher followed the trace of blood with her fingers. It felt good. Bella's hot and swollen skin under her cold icy touch. She sniffed closer to the essence and she closed her eyes inspiring the unique perfume of Bella's blood. The door opened and a stream of cold air caressed Bella's back as someone threw her aggressor away like a rag.

"What the hell are you doing?" The man who had drawn her blood pinned the woman high up against the wall. He looked back at Bella's motionless body still bouncing in the chains. "She's positive! She is the one! You should see how her blood mingles with ours and how the cells spread like fire! We did it! She is the weapon we've been waiting for and you are wasting her precious blood for fun! You are all acting like mindless rabid dogs!" He let go and looked around the room to the others. "If you want to survive this war then you have to come to your fucking senses! If you want to defeat Edward at all then you should remember of what he is capable of!"

Bella tried lifting her head higher to hear more but trying alone left her senseless. She dropped unconscious, her body falling heavily into the chains as she drifted into what she believed to be a deadly relief of her pain. The tall man came to her and gathered a few drops of her blood on his fingertips. Then, with everyone watching breathless, he licked his fingers in a movement that seemed to take forever. The moment the liquid touched his tongue he closed his eyes, his eyelids shut tight in deep concentration. His mouth filled up with saliva like his brain already knew the pleasure of what was coming. The taste was as sweet as autumn peaches juice on the lips of a child. It took over all his senses as it spilt down his throat and into his system. It ran quickly, so quickly that it felt like a parasite infiltrating through his sanguine system, creeping among muscles and tissues at such speed and with such velocity that it made him crouch under the pain, trying to stop it from running any further. When it reached his extremities, the vampire arched in pain, as the blood halted to a full and painful stop, like the angry ocean waves when collapsing on the naked ragged cliffs. His chest exploded with force and unknown strength; he felt like he could raise his body from the ground just by thinking about it. His eyes had flamed into a diamond blue, so sparkly and so powerful that it almost took over any other shades of darkness in them. He groaned and growled, his fists clenched up to where the skin on his knuckles extended to the point of breaking. A moment later he freed all the air in his lungs, gasping for air like someone who had just been severally strangled for too long.

"By the Gods…" the words were barely spoken as he caught his breath. "Her blood… her blood is … is… God! Is beyond anything and everything!" he smiled, still gasping for air.

"It looks painful" Alexander stepped closer.

"It's like a warm running under your skin, uncontrollable, untamed. The pain of it is no match to the feeling of empowerment it gives you! Her blood connects ours to a level that will increase your powers ten times more! God!"

"What about him? What does she know?" They looked at each other with increased interest.

"Not much" now he looked upset. "We've drained and exhaust her too much… her thoughts are incoherent, I can't get clear images. Her aura is so powerful yet so messed up with too many feelings. I could see his house, inside it, but not enough to get a clear view at the security system. Images are displayed too fast… And him, he is everywhere in her thoughts, in her feelings, in her emotions. Just his image. No plans, no discussions, just her thoughts so loud, so fucking loud! She's useless to get information. But she provides us with so much more" He fixed his jacket as he straightened his body. A noise outside. Imperceptible. "With her blood we can outrun Edward, in numbers and now in strength as well!" Another noise outside the door. Heads in the room turned towards the walls.

_**The door slammed open**_. And with it a rush of noise burst into the room. Gun shots, broken glass, yells, screams, sounds she couldn't make out. A few gun shots were so close that Bella felt like they were shooting at her. Involuntarily her brain kicked into a defensive posture but nothing happened. Her body didn't react an inch. She tried harder and the muscles in her shoulders tensed sending signals in her arms and tendons for the fingers to try and grasp on something. But other than the chains cuffing her wrists there was nothing. And then the muscles gave up, her face resuming its position to her chest.

He stood motionless in the basement door way with his hand rooted in the door he had just slammed into the wall. His eyes a glowing ocean blue almost violet scanning feverishly through the room. Then the naked body hanging from the ceiling. There was no movement other than the chains dangling a little from the current of air he had caused when storming into the room. Her knees were bent and she was barefoot on the pavement. She was a painting of white and red with the blood waving webs on her skin from her back down to the her ankles. His breathing became irregular, the lungs compressed as he tried to control his anger. His anger was something very few if none at all could handle. Not even him sometimes.

A nod and a thought were enough to make the others plunge inside and take the vampires by surprise. In seconds the walls around them were reduced to dust and falling bricks as they breached through them fighting. The dust rose and settled just as fast on the water dripping on the floor. Every second or so another vampire would kick in through the wreckage and stumble into the next room dragging along his opponent. They flew around Bella so fast that Edward feared that if they touched her by mistake they would pull her from the chains and dismember her.

He plunged forward and refrained himself just in the nick of time from grabbing her into his arms. Instead he came in front of her, his face almost in her hair as she lay there… dead. He focused. He stopped breathing and focused more on her body to seize any tinny movement. Nothing. He breathed for one short second and then tried again. He felt that pain in the back of his eyes, that tumble in his forehead and he knew it was coming. The blood rushed in the white of his eyes through the capillaries and little by little they darkened until they turned entirely into a mass of dark coagulated blood cloth. The blue of the pupils had disappeared instead there was this opaque mass of blackness on his eyes, like he was in a trance.

He came closer to her, his eyes motionless, his breath missing. The sound of the world slowly turned from broken glass and gun shuts to a mild barely hearable flow of liquid, so unperceivable that it took him a few seconds to cling on it. The silence inside, a sound here and there of a blow of air being pushed gently through the pulmonary alveoli. And that flow again, close to her armpits, so slow he feared his hearing might trick him, which was impossible. He leaned and got his ear closer to her chest. The sound grew louder and the rhythmic knock in her chest led him to believe her heart was still fighting. He stared at her chest. Beyond the flesh there was a network of pure red veins that worked at keeping her alive. It wasn't much but it was there. The more he looked the more he saw how the network changed colors as it got close to her extremities. Her legs and hands were bluish deprived of blood for hours and in the cold. He straightened up and looked at her again. He was afraid to touch her. It felt like she might break into pieces and go to waste like ashes in the wind. He reached for her face and gently cupped her chin in between his fingers. Her head came up and he could see through the skin how the muscles ached in the back of her head.

"Bella" he tried to control his voice, to keep it soothing and calm. "Bella…" His face grimaced when watching her. She was beaten, bruised and bloody. Her right eye was swollen, the eyebrow cracked open and a bag of blood was filling up on her eyelid due to the blow. There was no way she could see with that eye. The other though moved. Only he could've perceived it. He pushed the eyelid up a bit and saw an empty pupil. "Bella". A moment later he saw life flooding that eye. The pupil focused on him and the fine lines around the eye curved a bit. They always did when she smiled and she was smiling with his eyes at him. Edward closed his eyes and screeched from his teeth. Too much time had passed since he experienced such powerful feelings towards a human. Towards anyone as a matter of fact. "I'm here, I've got you" He looked at the chains and tried to figure how to take them off and not hurt her more. He took his coat off and wrapped her body in it gently lifting her off the ground. Bella squeaked when the leather touched the wounds on her back. Edward tried supporting her with one hand around her waist while ripping the chains from the ceiling. The metal fell to the floor with a clashing sound that made her moan when they rotated around her wrists. She was all over him now, with that small body of hers, covered in blood and with that sweet unbearable perfume of hers in his nostrils.

He thought he heard her say something. She watched her carefully. She was making efforts to keep her one good eye on him and drops of cold sweat were gathering up her brow. "I didn't…" then she lost her breath. "… say a word…" How did she find the power to speak and how did he find the power to smile? A crooked smile, but a smile nevertheless. He knew they learnt everything they needed to know by tasting her blood. And he was grateful that once they did so they didn't feast on her afterwards. There must been a greater purpose to this if they went through such effort to keep her intact. His mind ran wild with anger again until she moaned trying to speak some more.

"Shhh… let it go" his voice was hoarse and no longer calm. Just poisoned. "Falken!" He felt the need to yell even though the others could read his thoughts just as he read theirs.

"Yes!"

"Cut her loose!" Falken closed up, tense and uncertain. He feared Edward more than his desire for her dripping blood. He took her hands one by one and with two fingers slowly removed the cuffs. Her arms fell lifeless around her body freed from the weight. Edward lifted her into his arms, wrapping her more in his coat. He flew towards the exit then stopped abruptly. Falken backed off giving him room to take her away. "It's only the puppets and the familiars. Puppeteers are all gone" Falken growled more than spelling the words, bruising inside with anger.

"Kill them all!" The air moved faster and in spirals as he disappeared on the corridor upstairs.

_**The door slammed shut**_ behind him as he stormed in the bedroom. He rushed to the bed and laid her body so gently that it barely disturbed the black sheets. Margaret hurried inside following him closely.

"My God! Poor thing!" The old lady leaned forward to take a better look at Bella's wounds. Edward had laid her on her belly so he can take care of the cuts on her back. Margaret disappeared in the bathroom and in less than a minute came back with a health kit, towels and hot water. She soaked the towel in the warm water and then rinsed it on Bella's skin. A reddish flow of blood mixed with water started flowing down her ribs and into the sheets. Bella arched a bit, the wounds itching from the heat of the water.

"It will take weeks for this to go away!" Margaret traced the cuts on Bella's swollen skin. "She needs some stitches here and here…" Then she looked down at her legs. "Hmmmm… nothing here thank God! Turn her around, let me see her face!" But Edward didn't move. Margaret stopped examining Bella and looked at him. "Ed... child are you all right? Is this too much for you?" And she meant Bella's blood. "I can take care of this". But Edward continued to stare at Bella's bloody back.

"She can't heal like this, it will take forever… I want her back, fit and ready to go. They will retaliate soon and she needs to be strong enough to be moved." He took his coat off and got a knife from behind his back. Margaret rushed to stop him clinging onto his arm.

"Edward, it's too dangerous! She, out of all people, is so prone to turning if you feed her! Plus she needs a lot to be able to cure all this!

"It will work, I'll stop in time"

"You have never fed a human before! And she is not your ordinary human either…"

"I fed… I fed mom…" A deep shadow of pain speared across his face. He blinked a few times trying to chase the memories away. "She was human too." Margaret let loose of his hand.

"She will be in pain… I'll get the boys." Margaret ran outside on the corridor. Before long she was back with Falken and Michael. The two of them stopped abruptly in the door step.

"I need you to focus and help me out. Margaret won't be able to hold her down."

"She is… positive Edward. We saw the tests in the lab."

"Fuck the tests! It's just another Tanos kind of story!" Their silence contradicted him. Edward closed his eyes. Things were unfolding too fast and what he believed to be just a mere coincidence was now becoming a frightening truth.

"Hold her. Falken, take her arms, Michael, her legs" In seconds the two of them pinned her to the bed by holding her tight. Edward swished the blade on his left wrist so deep that a small fountain of dark blood burst out and on her back. He made sure his blood got everywhere on her wounds, even spread it more with his palm, massaging it slowly into the open tissues. Bella let out a short sharp scream, her face buried in the sheets. A moment she seemed to have stopped breathing. They all watched her carefully. Then her body tensed entirely, she stretched her legs and hands to a maximum and screamed from the bottom of her lungs like she was backstabbed. She lifted her head; eyes closed shut, fists clenched until her skin whitened on the knuckles. Then she sprang up from the sheets so fast that the two men holding her were taken by surprise. Falken pressed her down grabbing her hands harder. Michael leaned backwards pulling on her legs.

"What the fuck!" Falken tighten his muscles. He needn't do that to hold down a human but somehow her power of fighting them both grew stronger. She continued screaming as loud as she could, thrusting her body on the bed covers, left to right, up and down trying to free herself from the incredible burnt Edward's blood was causing her. His blood was sucked into her pores like a dry paper sucks in the ink. Drop by drop it all disappeared under her flesh connecting with hers producing a chain reaction in her white blood cells building her defensive system at an incredible rate. The blood started coagulating on the wound edges bringing the skin together, forming new layers, suturing all the deep injuries. The lacerations were all gone in less than a minute and the bigger bruises were reduced to mere spots. Bella hid her face to the bed sheets again, writhing desperately, the muscles of her legs and back hardening visibly. Edward added some more blood to her ribs to heal the marks there too. She stopped moving. A thin layer of sweat shined on her skin.

"We should stop."

"Her heart is still beating. It's beating too fast." A second outburst of pain and Bella screamed again grabbing Falken by the elbows, looking him in the eye.

"Jesus Christ!" Falken let go of her instantaneously.

"The hell are you doing?" Edward flew over at the other side of the bed grabbing her by the hands but remained frozen. From inside out and especially around her iris Bella's eyes started turning blue. You could see the dark rays of chestnut cutting through the sparkling blue, fighting to gain control.

"Enough Edward! She's turning!" Margaret warned Edward with a shout. Edward switched position again and in a flash pushed her on her knees supporting her weight with his body. He encircled her waist, grabbing her from behind the head to have a look at her face. He gently applied pressure to her jaws and opened her mouth. Then using his thumbs he slowly checked her gums and teeth looking for an increase in her canines. Nothing. Then his focus turned from that to the tenderness of her lips, to the hotness on her tongue, to how rosy her lips were and how fragile they seemed under his touch. She was so light he could barely feel her next to him.

"Edward…" Michael's voice woke him to reality.

"Give me the blade"

Michael didn't ask, he just did it. He could see her pupils running wild underneath the closed eyelids. He held her in such way that with one hand he kept her still and with his right one he carefully cut right above her eye the little bag of coagulated blood. His blood couldn't help dilute her blood clot. He pushed on the skin and the entire puss dripped down her face. Bella moved again and tried opening her eyes. Edward held her close hoping that the comfort of his body would calm her down. He bit on his thumb and pressed it against her eye and then held her even tighter. A new wave of stinging pain shuddered her face as his blood worked his magic on her eyelid.

After a few failed attempts, Bella finally managed to open her eyes and look at Edward. The blue was slowly fading away, but in Edward's eyes was as strong as ever. He sighed. The relief of simply looking her in the eye took the weight off his heart. She closed them again and her head fell backwards.

"We should let her rest." Margaret patted him on the shoulder. "She'll be fine" Edward looked at Margaret inquisitively. "I'll watch over her… all night. However long it takes"

Edward shook his head. He felt tired too and he hadn't felt tired in too long to remember. It was such a nostalgic feeling, being tired. So human! He knew it wasn't real. Physically he couldn't be tired. It was inside his head, all the pressure and torment of the past 5 hours. He held her to his chest for a few seconds more. How did it all get'em here? It seemed like just yesterday he saw her in that notary office staring at him. And now he couldn't let go of her and he didn't exactly understand why, nor did he believed the explanations he was given. He instinctively felt he shouldn't let go of her.

Kan signaled him telepathically. Edward turned around and saw the head of security in the doorway. Kan was in charge with keeping the mansion safe. He was a rather recent acquisition of Edward's but he soon gained everyone's trust.

"What?"

"Amelia has arrived. She is downstairs along with the Council members. And Marcus" Edward closed his eyes for a moment trying to keep it under control.

"I will be with them in a minute. I want everyone out from the meeting room. Gather the troops in and wait for my orders"

The troops were his boys, Falken, Michael, Emmet, Jasper and Tanos. Kan had other men to use for local safety. The troops were for outside patrolling and Edward counted on them to clear the streets and keep the vampire world below and under control. That, plus the help of the Council members, the oldest vampires he knew. Amelia and Marcus were one of them. Viktor another. But Viktor had betrayed them.

"Wash her. Don't dress her up until her wounds are fully closed. Don't leave her not even for a minute. You two stand guard." Edward frowned. He laid Bella on the bed covers, still moaning, still in pain. A quick caress to her cheek and he flew out of the door followed by Kan.

"Do you need help? We'd … we'd rather not…" Falken seemed embarrassed.

"I'll manage sweetie, don't worry" Margaret smiled then she went into the bathroom to get the bathtub ready. The "boys" took stand outside the door. Margaret threw in some lavender and mint in the hot water. Then she hurried back into the bedroom, thinking of a strategy to get Bella into the tub.

Margaret was a little lady by stature. She looked old but she was much older than anyone would've thought of. She was a dunpeal, a mixed breed, neither human nor vampire. When Edward found her, 172 years before, she was nearly dead in a ditch outside Warsaw. She had been raped, plundered and severally beaten. She was turning 75 that year. Edward felt bad about her. He often did about the humans but very seldom intervened. He did with her though. He fed her his blood and incredibly she bonded so well to it that ever since she took a viol of it every month, like medicine. Margaret was the only human Edward had fed since his mom. But his mom was a special human, a queen with the same blood type and characteristics like Bella's. They reacted differently to his blood than Margaret did. She only survived her age better, was a bit faster and in good health for a 247 year old granny. She was his only comfort; replacing the motherly image he missed so. Yet he felt selfish prolonging her old age only for his benefit. The many times he had to drag her form one country to another, through so many fights and perils. She was one active grandma!

Margaret took Bella by the hands and lifted her to her feet. "Sweetie, can you walk?" Bella nodded and she leaned against Margaret completely as she was so much taller than her. But Margret had years of Edward's blood in her and carried her, half dragged half supported, all the way to the bathroom. Bella started crying when she entered the bathtub. The feeling of relaxation and the sorrow of her remaining wounds all mingled. Margaret looked at her so heartfelt. Edward was like a son to her and she resented seeing him so lonely in his long journey. And now this fragile being in front of her, gave her the chance to make up for all the goodness Edward had shown her and help him be happy. Happy. She smiled. This word did not exist in the King's vocabulary.

_**The door slammed shut**_ behind Margaret. Only the ripple of the water in the bathroom resonated through the darkness of the room.

_**Another door slammed open**_ downstairs. The game was on.

CHAPTER 9

_**Edward**_ stepped into the room and sat in his usual chair, on top of the long mahogany table. The council members observed him in silence. A few never dared watch him in the eye. The rest were just restless with the recent events.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" Edward's voice was as cold as the marble on the floor. He very well knew why.

Amelia coughed mildly.

"The recent developments caused quite a disturbance in the ranks"

"The recent developments have nothing to do with the ranks. It's a war that's been raging for the better half of a millennium. Nothing new there, just another attempt to take the thrown, conquer the world and become the superior species, that's all. We've all witnessed it."

"The girl." Amelia didn't go any further. Edward's facial muscles twitched.

"What's with _the_ girl?"

"Has she turned positive?"

"What if she did?"

"Edward, don't be a child, we've known each other for centuries!"

"Centuries, exactly!" Edward got abruptly and started pacing through the room. "I've been here for over 2 millenniums so I find it a bit hard to behave like a child. Now tell me why you're here for"

The council members fidgeted in their chairs. Amelia nodded angrily.

"She needs to… go"

"You mean die Marcus! Say it! I know death is the word that comes fastest to your mind! Everything _is_ about death with us!"

"Edward!" the oldest of the vampires, older than even Amelia, Marcus, a 678 years old immortal calmly crossed legs under the table leaning back in his chair. "Edward… your blood cannot get into the wrong hands. You know what it can do to them, what it can do to the world if they use it. We can't face them if they have such a weapon, not especially under Viktor's command!"

"Viktor is your brother; you should've taken care of him when you had the chance! You've tried taking her out of my life before and succeeded, I will not let you do it again! I don't even have a fucking clue as to why she is so important and you already want to snatch her from me! How about I choose this time, how about I decide what she is to me for fucking once?"

Marcus sighed. He disliked seeing Edward so angry. He actually liked him.

"They've already learnt more than enough by tasting her."

"They learnt nothing, 'cause she didn't see nothing!"

"She read the Legend."

"The Legend is a fucking story that all vampires know about."

"Is she positive?"

Edward stopped pacing and looked at Marcus almost pleading with his eyes to not ask the question. Marcus sustained his look.

"Yes."

"Shit" Amelia let the air come out short and steep out of her lungs. A general frustration took over the rest of the vampires.

"Listen, she is one body, she cannot possibly provide all the blood they would need to feed an entire army of vampires, 'cause an army is what they need to take me down!"

"You know they own the Zion Syntex factories, they can multiply the genes they need. All it takes is draining her and that would do."

Edward collapsed back in his chair, running his fingers through the hair. He stared blankly for a moment. He then answered calmly.

"I won't give her up so you better come up with something else."

Amelia wrinkled at the thought. Marcus stood up and signaled Edward to follow him.

"Gentlemen, let's resume this meeting for now. Let's detail things tonight in a more relaxing environment."

"But we need to know how to proceed. Time is of the essence now that they also know."

"And an answer you shall have. But pushing your odds now, will surely not bring you closer to it."

Not a lot of people stood up to Marcus. He was rather dominant when it came to leadership; that's how he ended up being the Head of the Western Europe Covenant. Amelia was in charge with Eastern Europe. Smaller clan leaders along with a few old vampire families were also present. The Asian clans had plaid a quite active role in keeping the war within boundaries for the past decades.

They silently left the room leaving Amelia and Marcus alone with Edward.

"Whatever you're trying it's not going to work. I won't change my mind."

"Let's not think about that now. Let's talk about Bella."

"There is not much I have to say about her. I've been kept in the dark for almost 200 years."

Marcus sat back at the opposite end of the table and looked him straight in the eye. Amelia wished she could bark at him telepathically and stop him, but Edward could hear her. Her eyes grew angry as she saw Marcus leaning forward on the table.

"You've been kept in the darkness, for so much more than 200 years."

Edward remained silent for a moment digging into Marcus' head for a trace of lie.

"Relax. I will tell you everything voluntarily." Marcus smiled as Edward freed his mind. "You met Bella at least a millennium ago."

"Marcus this is no time for stories! The important thing is that she is here again and can bring us to ruin!"

"Shut it Amelia!" Marcus grinned back at her. "He needs to understand" Amelia retreated powerlessly. "Bella was always this beautiful, slim, dark hair, gracious chestnut eyed girl. Her looks never changed, yet she bared many names. You met her every 100, maybe 150 years in a different life time of hers."

Edward felt his heart collapsing inside him and a deaf pain took over, a longing he did not recognize. Marcus' words struck deep inside and he couldn't tell why.

"Every time you met she never remembered you. Like now. And each life time you met, you remembered her just as much. If vampires were to have a soul mate, she'd be yours. She is like the battery to which you connect and recharge for another decade waiting to meet her again when she is reborn."

"You know how you sound, right Marcus?" Edward found himself in between laughing hysterically and crying bitterly. "I know, I mean…" he giggled. "I know people reincarnate and all, but how stupid can I be to fall for the same girl every single time and not do something about it! Turn her, kill her, fuck her, I don't know! Am I such a twit?" he went on laughing in disbelief.

Marcus smiled at his turn. He always admired Edward's way of taking even the most serious things like they were all solvable.

"You never wanted to turn her, you wanted her to stay human. You enjoyed her more like this."

"I enjoyed her….?" He left the phrase unfinished purposefully for Marcus to end it.

"You enjoyed the life in her, the beating heart, the rush of blood, the warmth… you didn't enjoy feeding on her, even though she did feed you a few times."

"Aha… why did she feed me?"

"To save your ass!"

"So it's true what Tanos was blubbering for so long. She has some sort of regenerative gene in her blood." Edward nodded unconvinced.

"For you is regenerative, healing, cleansing… you name it. For the other vampires it only increases their powers for short intervals. Her blood can turn you into something you don't even know you are. Ten times stronger, ten times your capabilities increased. You'd be the ultimate vampire. The future."

"Aha. Ok. Going back to her" Man was he reluctant about this, thought Marcus looking at his ironic grin. "Why didn't I do anything about her?"

"Cause you always knew she was the pure born and loving her you never wanted to get her in the middle of this war. Plus, you are the most dangerous thing for her."

"People keep telling me that! What's the idea? I loved her! I don't understand love, for one and then again look at me now, I… I am capable of … a lot of things for her and I don't even know what the heck is going on!" his voice died into remorse and confusion.

"You are physically attracted to her beyond your control."

"For some reason this whole theory sounds so familiar! But, yes it is true." It was the first time he admitted it out loud and to himself. Not a word was spoken for a few minutes.

"What happens then, every time I meet her? What do I do if I'm not allowed to touch her? How do I keep her safe from me and the others?"

"You never spent more than a month maybe two at the most at her side. You always tried to stay away and never allowed her too close. I am not a man of faith, but I can only blame it on destiny, how you met, every time something happened that you ended up together. And when you did, you always knew who she was and she instinctively was attracted to you. You never betrayed your nature towards her and never gave her the chance to find you after you left. But you always watched over her until the end of her days. In all her lifetimes. Until it became too difficult and painful for you to loose her ad watch her die so many times. And then, as centuries passed by your resilience towards her decreased considerably and she seemed to pass a consciousness of you from one life to another. She grew restless, she started having dreams about you, she acted like she was missing on something throughout her entire life. It became harder and harder to stay separate, to keep the passion under control. Until Prague, about 450 years ago when she finally found out the truth. It was mind blowing for her as it was for you seeing her reaction. She wanted you even more at her side. Still, we believed she will put it behind her once she was reborn. But then in Warsaw you met her again. She started remembering and you ended up telling her the truth again. She left clues to herself to find and track you back when you're gone. That led you both to near certain death. That's when you tried to make love to her for the first time. That's when we cleaned your memory."

Edward listened in complete silence.

"Tanos said I was close to being killed because I was injured and starving. She found me and fed me."

"That's how you met. But later, when you tried making love to her, that's when both your of you nearly died when a new attack stroke the village we were hiding in."

"What has making love to her has anything to do with the war?"

Amelia and Marcus looked at each other.

"She is draining you dry."

Now Edward felt stupid. If he were hit in the head with the biggest rock around and still his face would've been more flexible than that. He gasped for air.

"I thought I was doing the draining and she was doing the dying part. And I thought you said she was supposed to make me stronger"

"Her blood does. Her presence doesn't"

Edward stared at Marcus.

"I'm 2,084 years old and you are nearly 700. And yet, here we are like we've just met and we're sharing the latest gossip of the last 200 years! I'm too old for this shit Marcus! Explain before I loose my mind and I make you loose yours too!"

"Think of the night when you went over at her apartment. How did you feel when you held her close? You always described it like feeling very dizzy, like it numbs your brain and are unable to react. Selim observed you and in time he figured that there is this part in you that succumbs completely to her charms when you're around him, like you're in oblivion, can't hear, can't react, can't see nothing but her. You are very vulnerable. You are … human."

"Can't be!"

"I've seen you sleep."

"I _can _sleep."

"I've seen you sleep and _rest _at her side. I was there and you didn't notice me."

Edward's lips parted in disbelief.

"I never rest!"

But the looks on both Amelia and Marcus' faces said differently. He rested his forehead in his open palms.

"You are opposites with an infinite attraction towards each other. She is your salvation from the worst life threatening situations, while _you are_ her worst life threatening situation. Yet your blood can save her while her presence can weaken you beyond control."

"What if I do make love to her?" he asked it more out of curiosity; it looked rather impossible at this point.

"It's not an option" Amelia's voice cut through the cold air of the room. Marcus observed her closely, narrowing his eyes. Amelia has always been a feisty character, but even more so when around Edward. It didn't take a genius to figure out she wanted to be at his side more than a Council member and Bella got to be in her hair for too long now. Yet, with all her warrior qualities, looks and wisdom, Marcus didn't see Amelia as the perfect match for their king.

Edward also knew of how Amelia had grown to feel for him. Feel; well that's funny. To want him, not feel for him. He was careful of keeping his thoughts to himself while looking at Marcus. His face said it all.

He stood up and reached for the doors. He turned around one last time before leaving the room.

"Bella stays. She is officially under my protection and she will remain in the mansion until I decide otherwise. She is not to be touched. Convene the other Council members in the Ball Room tonight. I will announce my decision then. And please… make yourselves at home."

_**Bella**_ turned underneath the sheets. Her body hurt as if she had been beaten all over. She stood up grabbing on her knees to support her weight as she sat in the middle of the bed. The lamps in the garden pored in through the open window, spreading a yellowish dark light all over the brown carpet. The golden tassels to the heavy green drapes dangled in the evening breeze. Was it evening or was it night already? She had lost the notion of time.

She looked around letting her eyes get used to the darkness. Geting used to being open at all. She slowly looked at her hands and arms. No bruises, no cuts, no marks whatsoever. Then her belly and her chest. A few marks there. It looked more like scars from old burns, white refined lines on her forearms. A flash of memory and she felt a pain, but in her heart, when she heard the swish of the whip in the air. She gently touched her back. She expected blood and incredible pain. But there was nothing. Small indentations of what she believed were the same marks as on her arms. When did she heal so fast? Or maybe it was days… it had been so dark lately around her that maybe what she believed to be one night was actually many nights. She looked at the edge of the bed and thought of getting down, but it seemed like such a long way. She pushed aside the covers and dragged slowly towards the edge. God, it was such a big bed! Edward! Only Edward could've had such a huge bed! She swallowed drily. She remembered his voice when he came for her. A very faint trace of blue and his voice and that was it. The rest, she didn't remember.

She finally made it. A long black dress was set aside on a chair next to the bed, as well as a set of silk underwear and a bra. She soon discovered they were a perfect fit and the dress was soft on her still bruised skin. She put on the sandals she found at the foot of the bed and stood up. It took her three attempts before she could actually stand without falling back dizzy and powerless. She managed a few steps towards the door way. She knew what she had to do. She had to find Edward and apologias for ever intruding in his life, assuring him that his secret was safe with her. That she never revealed anything about him. And hopefully he will believe her.

She stepped outside in the corridor and looked carefully trying to recognize the place. She remembered she was there with Edward before. In a room close to his bedroom. She took each step at a time, leaning against the wall. She felt emptied inside, no strength at all. She didn't even remember the taste of food. She didn't remember anything other than Edward holding her, his voice in her head. And she felt so desperately sad. She felt like she screwed everything that could possible be screwed and she felt lost because of it. The once chance, the chance of her life to be next to a man who intrigued her so unexpectedly, was completely blown to pieces. Tears rose in her dry eyes. It stang but she didn't care. She ended up on top of the big staircase that led into the lobby. She could hear voices in the dinning room and far beyond. She paced slowly holding to the railing. She stopped before entering the dinning room not knowing what to expect. Her breathing became irregular as she imagined there could be vampires and her fragile nature would be of much interest to them. All sort of fears sprang inside her mind that she almost lost it and burst into tears. The fright of the recent ill-treatment was still fresh in her mind. Head down she moved forward into the dinning room. Elegant people were sipping from crystal wear around black velvet covered tables, talking so fast, whispering and laughing all at once. She couldn't make out anything. But soon enough the buzzing was all gone as they all turned their eyes on her. And all those eyes seemed so unfriendly and unfamiliar. She swallowed again; then breathed thinking that she was maybe breathing too loud.

She traversed through the room with everyone watching her every move. The whispering restarted with her as a main focus. She turned right walking towards the wooden ball room doors and as she came closer she saw Edward seated in his chair from across the room. He was so beautiful and so untouchable for her. Handsome, in his black shirt and glamorous suit, his hair messy as always, sitting negligently in what seemed to be the biggest chair in the room. She felt puny and worthless. She bowed her head to an unknown force. Then the noise stopped again and she slowly looked up. Edward was now standing somewhere close to the middle of the room looking straight at her with his crazy blue eyes. She made sure he was actually looking at her and not someone else before she took a step further. People in the room looked frozen, glasses in mid air waiting to be emptied; lips parted waiting to spell words that weren't event thought of in his presence.

Bella reached Edward and stopped. She took a deep breath and looked him up in the eyes. From closer he was even better looking and she found herself smiling thinking of how stupid she must look staring like at puberty, probably slobbering. He went on staring, his face marble-like, his eyes vivid as fire. He got closer, leaning forward for just a bit to get a better sense of her. Then he slowly paced around her, pushing aside the dress from her shoulders, back and arms to check her marks. Then stopped again in front of her.

"Who was it?"

Bella blinked a few times. It felt hard to talk when it seemed she hadn't talked in so long. She unsealed her lips and the first breath of air she took made Edward twitch feeling it warm on his face.

"I don't know." Her voice was so feeble a human wouldn't have heard it.

"Describe him to me."

"It's not worth it."

Edward pushed forward closer to her face.

"_Describe_ him to me." But Bella remained still looking him in the eye. It made Marcus smile. Oh, how familiar this scene was for him! He saw them fight and get stubborn with each other countless times. They always ended up doing something stupid. Like kissing. No kissing, Marcus thought saddened. Such a simple thing that most would cherish, would make them weak.

"What's the use?"

"They need to pay."

"I am here. I am fine. We are all here. That's all that matters. I am sorry…"

Edward grabbed her suddenly by the arms and jolted her.

"You don't understand! _I _had to put my ear on your chest to hear your heart beating! _I_ who can hear a fucking fly buzz a mile away! What does that tell you! You were fucking dead! Dead! Do you know what that did to me?"

He was yelling and if there were a fly to be buzzing at the time it would've stopped voluntarily. No one even dared breathing.

"Tell me, I'll find out anyways!"

"I won't!"

Edward kept a relative calm.

"I don't know. I won't! This is what they want, don't you understand?"

"Don't make me do it!"

"Do what? You can't read my mind and if you didn't find out while you were there, that's too bad 'cause I'm not telling you shit!" She burst into tears. "They used me to get to you! They wanted you to be like this and to go looking for them! It's a trap! Can't you see! You don't have to pay any attention to me, you have to show them they were wrong, that I'm nothing to you, I mean nothing, nothing!"

"They don't bother for _nothing_ little girl! They don't face _me_ for nothing knowing the risks! Going after them won't come as a surprise to anyone! They need to learn their bounds when it comes to property! _You_ are mine and _you_ are not to be touched. Now tell me who did this to you or I'll get it from you!"

"No"

Edward kept quiet for a moment then cupped her face in his palms.

"You leave me no choice."

Bella saw the images of her previous ordeal in the basement and pushed him aside. She didn't realize fully that her blood gave vampires a clear picture of things she had witnessed, but she knew she had to fight Edward from getting any closer.

"Edward, no! It's not worth it, please! Edward!"

But he didn't listen. He gently removed the long strands of hair exposing her neck. Bella gave up sobbing. He stopped moving watching the pulse underneath her skin. Marcus stood up behind him. He trusted Edward but this was so close to the edge that he couldn't refrain from intervening. Edward urged him to relax. The mind conversation paid off and he retreated to his seat. Edward focused again on the heat coming from her neck. It was so easy becoming the predator that slept within him when being so close to her. His fangs sprang parting his lips as they grew in dimension. He felt guilty for putting her through this again. He knew how it hurt but he had no know. His lips touched the pulsating vain and they caught fire, her vibration consuming his senses in ways only he could understand. His mouth opened wide enough for the sharp tip of the canines to move on the kill, squeezing in between the beating flesh. He measured the force with which he applied pressure when penetrating her skin so he doesn't hurt her unnecessarily. And then his jaw snapped in one short move. And half of the vampires in the room mimicked his gesture watching the breathtaking image of the feast.

The teeth went in deep and Edward gathered his lips quickly around the open wound to gather all the blood springing from them. He knew the scent alone could've driven his guests crazy. So he made sure he didn't let a drop go to waste. He felt Bella leaning towards him and he held her closer; then closed his eyes and let the sweet nectar flow down his throat, swallowing slowly, indulging into the forbidden fruit with such pleasure that he almost forgot the reason of why he was doing it. Suddenly a trailer of images blinded him at lighting speed, like a short film being forwarded 2 times faster than normal. Images of people coming and going, of light and dark, rolled inconsistently before his closed eyes. Her gasping and her pain echoed through his head, her tears burnt his memories; then the clear image of a tall man with dark hair in a pony tail revealed itself clearly, staring at him. A second later he freed her neck form his bite, pushing his head backwards sipping on the last drop lingering on his lips and pressed a handkerchief against the wound. The incision was much smaller than it felt when he bit her. He bit on his thumb again and sealed them with his own blood. Bella grabbed him by the arms and held tight as the burning went on for a few minutes and the wound closed. The crowed witnessed in amazement her healing process. Edward knew they were all thinking of how her blood might taste, of what it would feel like to have a bite. He couldn't trust no one.

"_So_?" The voice in his head came from the other corner of the room where Tanos was standing.

"Deakon Frost!" And Tanos disappeared. Edward looked at Bella. He wiped her forehead from the few drops of sweat he had caused. He licked the corner of his mouth for the few lingering remains of her blood. He then addressed her and the crowd.

"From now on she will remain in this mansion. She will be supervised at all times by one of my men. As long as no one has access to her, humanity will have a chance. I suggest that you all refrain form your lives of lust and depravation and start paying more attention to the menacing reality you live in. This will not end here and you better be prepared."

"Viktor has declared open war against us and against humanity by going after her. You well know they will never stop until they don't get her or you. We assume the first possibility is more likely to happen. These walls won't keep her safe."

"_I_ will!"

"I thought your Majesty decided to stay out of the war business…" the Council members squirmed in their seats, waiting for an answer. Edward watched them closely, each one of them in turn.

"I didn't bring this war on our kind, your hunger for power did! "

"Edward" Marcus stepped forward towards them both. "You have laid low long enough. Your people needs you."

"My people doesn't need me nor misses my guidance. They seem to be doing fine in the modern world. Violence, death, fame, money, blood anywhere on the streets mixed with a little cocaine if possible, humans crazy about becoming vampires, vampires crazy about themselves and their might and greatness!"

"Edward you are your father's son, the oldest of us all. Time hasn't changed the fact that you're still our King. We have changed for the worse, it is true, but so has the world. Yet there are still vampires who believe in a normal life along the humans. I know. There is no more glory, no more honor. No more brotherhood and understanding of the masses. But you, you are a warrior, a strategist. Many of us here yearn to see you in battle again! No one handles that sword better than you, that sword that now rusts in that case not five feet away from you. You and your care for righteousness and humans will give us reason to succeed. Stand with us Edward! Stand with us or she will perish!"

They could hear Edward snarling to that last line.

"I thought you wanted her dead! That she's a danger to you all! And now you're using her to get me into your fight! As I said, she is not to be touched, and this includes using her for your mischievous plans"

"_There might be a way to keep her alive… and forever. Without turning her_" The voice inside Edward's head struck fast and encoded. He turned and looked at Tanos who was again standing in the doorway. "_Now it's not the time. We have work to do_". Edward continued watching him for a moment longer then looked back at Bella. All this time she sat there more confused with things than ever.

It took a serious effort for him not to sweep her off her feet and hide her in some remote corner of the mansion and hold her until she couldn't take it anymore. He didn't have a moment with her since she left the house that afternoon. Not a moment after he left her half dead on his bed in Margaret's care. And he had to have that moment so he can have some piece of mind. But now there was more urgent business to attend to. The deeds of many in the past had now become most taxing for the future of the world as they knew it. And if he wanted any time with his "property" at all, then he had to go back at doing what he did best. _**HUNT AND KILL.**_


End file.
